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The Latest: Judge Closes Roof Competency Hearing to Public | The Latest on the next trial phase of the man facing a possible death sentence for slaying nine people during Bible study (all times local):
9:30 a.m.
A federal judge has shut out the public from a second hearing on the competency of a man charged with killing nine black people during Bible study at a South Carolina church.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled Monday that Dylann Roof's right to a fair trial could be hampered if jurors mulling his sentence learned the contents of the hearing.
Jay Bender, an attorney for The Associated Press and other media outlets, argued against the closure. Bender said closing the hearing to the public would be keeping the community from an important part of the legal process.
Gergel said he would have had to sequester the jury if he opened up the hearing. The judge said he didn't think jurors would intentionally seek out information about the result but might come by it inadvertently, a risk he couldn't take. Gergel said he'd release a transcript of the hearing after a verdict is reached in the case.
Jurors are set to begin hearing evidence Tuesday as to why prosecutors feel he should be put to death for killing nine people at Emanuel AME Church in June 2015.
———
3:30 a.m.
The same jury that last month unanimously found Dylann Roof guilty in the slayings of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church is returning to court to begin contemplating his punishment.
The sentencing phase of Roof's trial begins Tuesday in Charleston. He could face the death penalty.
With Roof representing himself, the process is sure to be unconventional. The 22-year-old said he plans to call no witnesses or introduce any evidence.
Prosecutors plan to call up to 38 people related to the nine people killed and three who survived the June 2015 slaughter during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church.
Even if Roof is sentenced to death, it's highly unlikely he'd be executed anytime soon. The federal government hasn't carried out a death sentence since 2003. |
A little turbulence is good for you | As a soft, bald, late middle-age, goofball who still hasn’t figured out exactly what I want to do with my life, I can say this with complete confidence: I hope for smooth sailing.
It’s what I shoot for. Of all the people you’ll meet in life, I am not the one who has a penchant for launching off into the maelstrom just to prove I can do it. No, that’s not me at all. I’m at the other end of the spectrum, entirely.
When the water is calm, the air is still, and the sky is blue, every aspect of life is more inviting. A sense of peacefulness comes over us. The world opens up. We believe we can do whatever it is we want to do. We see possibilities. We dream big.That calm may be only surface deep, however. There may be turbulence under the surface, above the trees, or in our hearts and minds. Even in the moments when great serenity is apparent, the potential for trouble exists.
Very recently, I awoke to such a chain of events. Winds were light, out of the northwest. The sky was as blue as can be, unblemished by even a single wisp of water vapor. Visibility was excellent, and as I completed my Sunday morning chores, the idea of throwing a little adventure into my day blossomed and grew in my mind.
By noontime I’d made a decision. It’s a perfect day to pull the Cub out of the hangar, circulate some oil, and head for a grass strip not far from my home airport. There, I would find a cluster of welcoming friends who live alongside that velvety green runway.
I grabbed my flight bag and headed for the airport.
The weather held beautifully and was forecast to remain unchanged for the remainder of the day. It was just past 12:30 when my wheels lifted off the ground. The Cub and I began to climb.
The takeoff was magnificent in the way they so often are when experienced from the pilot’s seat of an airplane built three quarters of a century ago. A moment of introspection and an appreciation for the wonders of lift might have captured my imagination had it not been for a sudden dip of the left wing. An entirely unexpected yawing of the aircraft required a kick of rudder as I rolled the wings level again.
The day was not as peaceful as it appeared, and my flight was not to be the casual adventure I’d hoped it might be. My destination was barely 20 minutes from home and in the general direction of my runway heading, so as I climbed, bumped, twisted, and rolled my way to pattern altitude, I disregarded any misgivings about the discomfort I might suffer and set a course for Flanders Field.
I’m glad I did.
The flight was never unsafe, but it was far from the serene sightseeing experience I’d imagined it would be. The little Cub bounced along like a cork on the surface of a wind-whipped lake. At 1,000 feet above the surface, brisk winds mixed with rising thermals to create an invisible obstacle course that tossed us about at will. Buzzards rode the rising columns of air all along my path, forcing me to navigate my way through them like a downhill slalom racer at the Winter Games.
At my destination the wind sock told me I had a light, but direct crosswind on the runway. Aloft, I continued to bump and lurch my way through the ether. On final I held a significant crab correction to hold my line to the runway.
Descending through the clear cut of trees on short final, my wings stretched out toward sturdy, straight pines on either side. Normally, I don’t give our proximity to these tree trunks a second thought. On this flight, I gripped the stick a bit tighter than usual, even as I reminded myself to relax my clenched fingers.
Then, as suddenly as the turbulence had begun, it disappeared. The Cub broke out into the clear, the sound of soft wind in the cockpit replaced the clattering of the engine, and rubber touched grass as smoothly as it ever would.
I was down and safe.
In flight, as in life, the unexpected will happen. Our wishes will override our intellect at times, deluding us into believing all is well, when it is not. Or just as often, pushing us to the conclusion that all is lost, when we are in fact merely experiencing a few bumps and bruises along a path toward ultimate success.
Aviation and sailing both lend themselves to being analogous to life in general, because in each case, you’re all in. Whether you want to be a player at the moment or not, you are.
Your choices are remarkably simple, even in the most challenging of circumstances. Do you want to think your way through the rocky shoals or turbulent air, or do you want to throw it in and let the winds take you where they will?
My visit to Flanders was simply wonderful, even if the flight to and from was not.
We enjoy the calm of the smooth air, but we learn from the challenges of the turbulence.
I wish you well on your journey, in good times and bad. |
Canadian men fall to Argentina 14-12 | HAMILTON, New Zealand — The Canadian men's sevens squad fell 14-12 to No. 4 Argentina on Saturday in the Challenge Trophy semifinal at the New Zealand leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
Luke Bradley and Justin Douglas had tries for Canada, while Nathan Hirayama scored a conversion.
Bradley put Canada ahead in the fourth minute only for Luciano Gonzalez to respond a minute later for Argentina.
Maximo Provenzano gave Argentina its first lead in the seventh, while Felipe del Mestre had two conversions. Douglas scored a late try to make it close. |
Owen Farrell ruled out of Lions' clash with Maori All Blacks after sustaining leg injury | Lions first-five Owen Farrell has been pulled from the Lions' matchday 23 to face the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua on Saturday after sustaining a grade one quadriceps strain in training.
Owen Farrell of the Lions. Source: Photosport
Farrell, who has 52 caps for England, started for the Lions in their impressive 12-3 win over the Crusaders last week but was overlooked for the No.10 jersey this Saturday with Ireland's Johnny Sexton named to start at the playmaking role.
Welsh flyhalf Dan Biggar has replaced Farrell on the bench. |
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles dealing with tired arm, getting reduced reps | JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone says quarterback Blake Bortles is getting reduced repetitions because of a tired arm.
Marrone initially said Bortles was on a "pitch count," but he backtracked Monday in an effort to better explain why the team's starter seemingly got benched after throwing two interceptions in practice Sunday.
The coach said he "probably might have misspoke when I said `pitch count.'"
Marrone added, "I just saw that his arm looked tired, so rather than push him knowing he was going to get all the reps that we needed for these next couple of days, I just said, `Hey, it's my decision.' He said, `Hey, I'm good. I can go.' I said, `Look, let's just be smart.'"
Bortles has been up and down through three weeks of camp. He enjoyed a solid start before making headlines with a five-interception practice night in late July. He bounced back the following day, but has done little since to show he can play with the kind of consistency the Jaguars want and need at the position.
Bortles' first pass in 11-on-11 work against Tampa Bay on Monday was tipped and intercepted by cornerback Maurice Fleming. His next pass was broken up.
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André Leon Talley Takes Center Stage in Documentary "The Gospel According To André" | “You don't get up and say, ‘Look, I’m black and I'm proud.’ You just do it. And somehow it impacts the culture,” fashion icon André Leon Talley declares in the new documentary about his life and career. Released in select cities last week, The Gospel According To André features archival footage of Talley and interviews with close confidants, including well-known designers talking at length about Talley’s impact and legacy in the fashion world and American culture at large.
One of the standout aspects of the film, though, are the ways in which Talley opens up about being one of the first black editors to find success in high fashion. Directed by Kate Novack, the documentary puts a spotlight on the inner workings of Talley's life and his winding journey to a spot on the Vogue masthead.
“He's been in a dozen [documentaries], always in these great over the top roles where he steals the scene, but he always is either talking about someone else, commenting on someone else, entertaining, which he's great at and that's such an important part of his human self, but he also has such an interesting backstory," Novack tells Teen Vogue . "To me, [it was a] glaring omission that there hadn't been a movie made about him, actually. He's an important figure in the fashion world, but he also transcends fashion."
Talley, Vogue ’s former editor-at-large (he’s now a contributing editor for the publication) known for his larger-than-life persona, whip-smart attitude, opulent dressing, and impressive knowledge about fashion history, has long defied what comes to mind when you think of what a fashion editor looks and acts like. And in many ways, standing at 6-foot-6 , with a love of glamour and caftans, he challenges the traditional ideas of black masculinity simply being himself.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Talley was introduced to fashion by his grandmother and aunts who would dress up for church socials. As a young man, he reveled in the seeing their creativity and inventive ways of dressing on display. They planted the seeds of a lifelong love of fashion in Talley. Being a black man from the South, though, his interest and pursuit of fashion as a career wasn’t always welcomed by those around him. Far before entering the upper echelon of the fashion ranks, Talley dealt with a fair share of racism growing up. Once, as he recalls in the documentary, a handful of students threw stones at him while walking across the Duke University campus as he headed to buy a copy of Vogue .
The older he got and deeply entrenched in fashion he became, he continued to experience racial slights, although of a different variety. Even with the accolades, breadth of impressive work and personal relationships he had with the world’s most renowned designers, Talley wasn’t immune to the cruelties of racists. To be black in the world of fashion is to always be an outsider, constantly having to prove yourself, even at the height of one’s career.
“People have said many bad things about me,” Talley recounts with tears in his eyes, as he reveals some of the microaggressions and insults he’s endured throughout the years. Such as when a former boss told him there was a rumor he was sleeping with designers to advance his career, or when a woman from Yves Saint Laurent referred to him as "Queen Kong." It's a vulnerable moment for the famous editor.
For much of his career, Talley shied away from majorly speaking out about race and what it’s like working as a black man in the insular world of fashion. “I think André had some ambivalence about talking about race," Vogue ’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, says in the documentary. "He would write me long handwritten letters about his experiences with race, but, obviously, it was always bubbling, I think, under the surface."
But that’s not to say he hasn’t used his platform in subtle ways to highlight this power imbalance. After all, he was the mastermind behind the affecting 1996 Vanity Fair fashion editorial reversed the roles in Gone With The Wind by casting Naomi Campbell as Scarlett O’Hara and white designers John Galliano and Manolo Blahnik as her servants. It was a powerful move, one that subverted old fashion traditions which typically put white models as the central focus and ones with power.
“I think his life and time at Vogue and his seat in the front row was super important in how he saw himself in the African- American world and what he represented to them,” Wintour notes.
Even then, if there’s one key takeaway from The Gospel According to André , it’s that being a black face in a high place isn’t enough — things need to be changed, for the better. And that only happens when people at the top content with dated norms and rules that have historically shut certain types of people out. Talley is one of those trailblazers, who has used his power for good. To move the needle forward.
With a career spanning four decades, notable editorships at legacy fashion publications including Vogue and WWD , and a number of culture-shifting projects under his belt — Talley is truly in a lane of his own. From his encyclopedic fashion knowledge and infectious personality to his captivating sense of life to match, it was only a matter of time before a film like The Gospel According to André created. No longer in the background, Talley takes center stage in all his full glory.
Related: Andre Leon Talley Won't Dress Melania Trump Anymore
Check this out: |
BBC's 'GENIUS' satire of Piers Morgan's interview with Trump is... a vulgar ass joke (VIDEO) | © BBC Two
You can pick apart Piers Morgan's recent interview with Donald Trump for factual flaws, or mock Trump's "not a feminist" comment..., like BBC Two did.Both Trump and controversial ITV Breakfast presenter Morgan offered plenty of ammunition for critics during their "world exclusive interview" on Sunday, January 28: From Trump's "I'm not a feminist" admission to his ideas of climate change.Indeed, RT joined in as well, talking about Trump and Morgan's off-screen links But most of those bullets have now been used up, and BBC Two has now decided to run this:Comedian Rachel Parris, in a 4-minute segment on the "satirical and surreal news show" 'The Mash Report,' decided to have her own belated go at the controversial interview - by showing off a sketch of Morgan with his face buried between Trump's butt cheeks.Parris' point was that the interview was a "celebrity puff piece," not "hard-hitting journalism." The vulgar cartoon, along with the comments drew a predictable peel of laughter from the audience - and mixed reactions on the network's, and Parris' own Twitter accounts. Some called it brilliant and spot on , others were not so thrilled , though.One tweeter commended Parris for her "effort on trying to get noticed" , considering she has some 23,000 Twitter followers compared to Morgan's 6 million.Morgan himself retweeted the segment several times, saying he "can take it" and wants the world to see "exactly what the BBC did." |
Feds continue to press U.S. on tariffs, trade | WASHINGTON — Justin Trudeau says he pushed for an exemption on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to the United States during his phone call this week with Vice-President Mike Pence.
The prime minister says the government is pushing the U.S. on multiple economic fronts, including getting a deal on a renegotiated NAFTA.
Using a national-security clause in U.S. trade law, President Donald Trump is threatening to slap potentially crippling steel and aluminium tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other countries when their exemptions are due to expire Friday.
Pence "seemed to understand very clearly that national-security issues don't really apply when you talk about steel or aluminum from Canada," Trudeau said of his conversation.
"We're continuing to work, highlighting that it would be not great for Canadian workers and Canadian industry, obviously, but it also would be difficult for American workers, American jobs and American consumers, who will pay more for various products."
That is on top of intense effort by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to get a deal on a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement in time for the current iteration of the U.S. Congress, and ahead of what's expected to be a turning-point election in Mexico on July 1.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland pushed the steel and NAFTA issues during her meeting Tuesday in Washington with Trump's trade czar Robert Lighthizer.
"Canada considers it frankly absurd that we would in any way be considered a national security threat to the United States," she said of the tariff threat, which comes under Sec. 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act.
"I would like to absolutely assure Canadians, particularly those that work in the steel and aluminum industries, that the government is absolutely prepared to and will defend Canadian industries and Canadian jobs. We will respond appropriately."
Freeland left Washington empty-handed earlier today, while Lighthizer and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross were off to Paris to talk tariffs with nervous European Union counterparts. |
Celebrities Wearing Ball Gowns In 2017: See Over-The-Top Dresses | Cardi B, Rihanna, and more stars rocked beautiful, bountiful ball gowns in 2017, because looking like a princess never goes out of style. See the best dresses from the year here!
There are few occasions where us plebeians can wear a ball gown. Quinceaneras, proms, possibly Halloween, and weddings are really the only options in our lives where we have the option of rocking a dress made with an excessive amount of fabric. But for the rich and famous, there are award shows, movie premieres, and film festivals to attend every year and they all call for formal attire. This means stars like Cardi B, 25, Rihanna, 29, and Zendaya, 21, can show up at events looking like IRL Disney princesses pretty much whenever the mood strikes them.
Cardi rocked a sea foam green gown to the Diamond Ball on Sept. 14, and it honestly might be our favorite of the year. She turned a charity event into an opportunity to wear an over-the-top gown, giving all of us hope that maybe someday we too could show up somewhere looking like royalty just because we can.
We’re sure Rihanna, who actually created the event, would also totally approve of Cardi’s fashion choice. RiRi herself is known to rock huge dresses — she’s even in our roundup twice for 2017. Her crimson red gown for the Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets London premiere was instantly iconic, but that might not even be her top outfit for this year. The singer wore a ruffled blue gown in October, which she showed off on Instagram. She captioned one of the pics, “casual” and the other, “tuesdays” proving once and for all that ball gowns can work for an everyday look. Ok, maybe that only works for Rihanna…
We can’t wait to see what ball gowns are worn next year! Maybe Meghan Markle, 36, will be the next celeb to take on the elegant trend at her wedding to Prince Harry, 33, in May 2018! Only time will tell, but for now we can reminisce on the amazing fashion from the past twelve months. Click through the gallery above to see the best ball gown looks from this year!
HollywoodLifers, which ball gown from 2017 was your favorite? |
DomiNations (Cold War Update): Top 10 Tips & Cheats | Here are the top 10 tips/tricks/cheats you need to know for DomiNations (Cold War Update).
1. Advance Your Units Through the Ages
• Spearmen and Slingers are okay, but wouldn’t you rather play with the Assault Vehicle and the Mobile Rocket Launcher (MRL)? Upgrade your armory and bring the most advanced units to war. You’ll thank us later…
2. Use the Rally Tactic!
• Sure, you can have all of your units bear down on a single target, but consider the versatility of this tool. Rally your troops to a central location before applying the Protect tactic, or use it to pull your troops out of heavy fire. Alternatively, pair it with a few of your lead troops to take out critical targets, then let the rest of your army go to work.
3. Protect Your Resources in Walled-Off Areas
• Having a single Wall running all around your base means you’re vulnerable if someone breaks through that single line of defense. Separate, smaller walled-off sections can slow down your opponent, and gives a chance for your defensive buildings to blast away at your enemy.
4. Build up Your Defenses
• Traps, towers, garrisons – there are so many options to defend your base. Upgrading defense buildings also helps to increase your player level so you can move to the next age. As a nice bonus, if you are able to destroy troops that attack your base, you can earn Crowns.
5. Move up the Leagues to get Better Daily Rewards
• As long as you’ve made a single offensive attack during the current season, you will be placed in a league. When you’re in a league, a boat will appear at your dock every day, bearing a range of gifts. The more League Medals you have, the better rewards you can get.
6. Join an Active Alliance
• Alliances let you participate in World Wars, test your base layout without losing troops, and request additional units to take into battle. We could do a whole top 10 list on why you should repair your Alliance Gate and join an Alliance.
7. Participate in Events to Earn Troops and Resources
• An icon will appear on your base for special, limited-time challenges. These events are based on actual world history – such as the black plague, the oil boom, and the Berlin airlift. If you can complete the event on time, then you can earn specialty Troop Tactics, Buildings, or piles of resources.
8. Activate Blessings for a Leg up
• Feel that your troops need a little more health on the battlefield? Pick up a Armor Blessing from the Temple. Need to eek out a little more treasure for that next upgrade? The Loot Blessing has you covered. The Defender, Trap, and Storage Blessings have your back when you’re away from DomiNations. Don’t forget that blessings only work during PvP battles.
9. Upgrade Your Research to Further Develop Your Units
• The Library, the University, and the Blacksmith all have places to research advancements for your troops as well as improve your defenses and resource generation. Build strength for your nation with a focus on economy, defense or army upgrades through the choices you make.
10. It’s Not All About Winning – Until it is!
• When raiding other villages, be sure to wipe out all of their defensive buildings. This enables your surviving troops to head into battle with you again next time without waiting to be retrained.
Check out more gaming coverage from Heavy. |
Salmon Arm makeup artist adds new sparkle to industry | The world of makeup is about re-inventing yourself.
And Salmon Arm makeup artist Missy MacKintosh is a master of that.
From make up sales rep to travel agent to full-time make up artist, MacKintosh has now moved into another realm – CEO and creative director of her own beauty product company, MisMacK Clean Cosmetics.
“I’ve been in makeup for a while and the cosmetics industry is not regulated, so often you have no idea what you are putting on your face. I started researching ingredients and out of that came my desire for more natural products, things that are clean, ethically sourced and aren’t going to do damage to your face or the Earth,” says MacKintosh.
Appropriately on Sunday, April 22, Earth Day, MacKintosh opened online pre-sales for the first two products in her exclusive makeup line: GlitterEnvi, a plant-based, biodegradable glitter eye shadow and Gaia Gloss, a dual -purpose product which can be a lip conditioner and also the base for the glitter.
The uniqueness of the product lies in that unlike other glitter products, it is biodegradable, with two of the glitters being made from wood pulp and the others being cornstarch-based. But there’s no fear of the glitter breaking down while wearing it, as it is not water soluble. But when composted, the glitter breaks down in nine months.
“There are people who said, you can’t have a clean glitter. In fact some countries in Europe are banning glitter, because, like microbeads, it doesn’t break down and it is getting into waters and oceans. That was the key, to find a formula that could offer a pro-quality makeup look, but that also is plant-based and won’t harm the environment,” says MacKintosh.
The MisMacK glitter is the first of what MacKintosh plans to be a full line of green, clean cosmetics. She is starting with the glitter because the look is currently in high demand in the fashion world.
“I’m hoping to lead the glitter revolution,” says MacKintosh “I kept hearing how people want this product, so I decided to seize the day and do this one first.”
Related link: Salmon Arm makeup artist needs your votes
Related link: Duo creates enchanted characters for the opera
Before it even hits store shelves, the product is already generating international buzz. Trend Privé magazine, a beauty publication in the UK, has already done a feature piece on GlitterEnvi.
The article calls MacKintosh’s biodegradable glitter, “the stuff of dreams for both the professional artist and, of course, the consumer.”
“As an opening gambit, glitter is the best, with the current trends in fashion leaning toward fantasy and whimsy, her range is set to become the benchmark for organic and eco-friendly makeup worldwide. The range will be expanded further and is set to be a major player on the beauty scene,” it reads.
Interest is high among retailers already, with a number of places already saving spots on their shelves. MacKintosh’s products will be available in Salmon Arm at Chadalin Medi-Spa, Hidden Gems Salmon and Spa in Blind Bay, Annex in Revelstoke and Portia-Ella boutique in Winnipeg. And — in what would be MacKintosh’s biggest coup – a Shoppers Beauty Boutique in Calgary has expressed interest in carrying MisMacK.
“For Shoppers to agree to carry it, that would be a really big deal because if it does well, they could pick it up for other stores all across the country,” she says.
Related link: Disney cosplay brings Cosmo to Okanagan artists
For MacKintosh, who is also the mother of a young son and has her calendar booked with weddings, commercial model shoots for companies like Sweet Legs, and doing other creative fashion shoots, adding the creation of a her own makeup line has turned her calendar into a whirlwind. In addition to creating the products and finding a manufacturer, she has also been involved with all the colour selections, product testing, packaging design and naming the shades.
There are seven varieties of GlitterEnvi dubbed – Disco Days, Unicorn, Pink Perfect, Blue Lagoon, Jade, UFO and Diamonds. The Gaia Gloss is also available as the clear base.
Other products in the MisMacK line will follow, including plans for foundation, lipstick, mascara and eye shadow.
Pre-orders for the products are available online through www.mismack.com
-Video clips courtesy of Hiilite Creative Group.
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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Red Kettle Theft Could Lead To Donation Scam | By Jamie Leary
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)– The Salvation Army is warning shoppers to keep an eye out for imitation bell ringers after two of the organization’s Red Kettles were stolen earlier this month.
“I’m especially worried because whoever committed the crime might start collecting donations from unwary donors,” said Salvation Army Lt. Sam LeMar of Aurora.
Both of the thefts occurred in Aurora. In one case, a kettle was stolen during a shift change. In the second, thieves not only took the iconic red kettle, but also the sign, the apron and the bell.
“With the whole setup, someone could setup shop in another store someplace and solicit donations for themselves rather than for the Salvation Army. They could just set up on any street corner,” said Will Raihl, Divisional Property Director at the Salvation Army.
Not only is the Salvation Army worried about imposters, the organization wants everyone to know, these thieves stole money that goes towards valuable programs.
“We are always saddened by the theft of one of our kettles. The funds otherwise would have gone to help an individual or family in need in our community,” LeMar said, “but I am positive that the kindness of this community will be more memorable than this crime.”
Last year the Salvation Army helped more than 62,000 Coloradans with toys and gifts for the holidays. In Aurora specifically, where the thefts occurred, each kettle raises between $350 and $500 a day.
Veteran bellriniger James VanHesteren knows the impact the organization can make on a personal level.
When he was just 11 years old and a fire destroyed part of his home, the Salvation Army not only replaced furniture, it delivered a bag full of Christmas gifts to his family.
“In a bag was an Al Kaline baseball glove for me. He was one of my two boyhood heroes,” said VanHesteren. “I remember it all these years later, I’m still grateful and it’s a joy every season that I get to do this.”
VanHesteren can’t fathom why someone would want to steal from an organization which gives so much.
“I would say somebody has misguided anger toward Christmas.”
VanHesteren has a message for the thieves, “Please step up and make opportunities happen for another 11-year-old boy.”
There are ways to recognize imposter bell ringers. Donors should always check and make sure the Red Kettle is secured to a stand with “The Salvation Army” sign on top. The kettle will always be accompanied by a bell ringer wearing a Salvation Army apron.
Another key tip? Bell ringers will never outright ask you for money.
“Our bell ringers never ask for money. The way we solicit donations is by ringing the Red Kettle bell and that calls people to give so our bell ringers will never ask for a donation,” said Raihl.
Raihl said the Salvation Army bell ringers are typically in the same place year after year. It’s unlikely you will see them soliciting donations on a random street corner.
The Salvation Army says kettle theft is unfortunately not a new crime but it hopes to continue to increase awareness. The Red Kettle Campaign is in its 127th year and is one of the longest-running and most recognizable fundraising efforts in the world.
Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn’t imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary. |
The Saudi Crown Prince's visit to the US will focus on changing his image rather than policy | news
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman touched down in Washington on Monday, his first visit to the US as heir to the throne.
Experts say the prince's visit will improve the country's image in addition to its policy.
Salman's global tour seeks to shift Western perception of Saudi Arabian society, and ease investor concerns over the nation's heavily-criticized human rights record.
Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman touched down in Washington on Monday, his first visit to the US as heir to Saudi Arabia's throne.
Salman is expected to meet with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, as well as prominent political and business leaders in New York, Washington and California over the next two weeks. The royal's agenda also includes meetings with heavy hitters from entertainment and tech giants, including Google, Apple, and Lockheed Martin.
While Salman's visit will no doubt enhance bilateral ties between the US and Saudi Arabia, experts say the prince's visit seeks to improve the country's PR in addition to its policy.
Nader Hashemi, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, told Al Jazeera the main purpose of Salman's visit is shifting the public's perception of Saudi Arabian society in the US.
"Saudi Arabia knows that it has an image problem," Hashemi told Al Jazeera.
Hashemi explained that in the West, Saudi Arabia is seen as "one of the countries in the Middle East that promotes a very ultra-conservative and authoritarian interpretation of Islam."
32-year-old Salman, a pioneer of social and economic changes, instead wants to present himself as a "breath of fresh air, a reformer … as a liberator of women, as someone who is pro-reform [and] as someone who is taking Saudi Arabia in a different direction," Hashemi told Al Jazeera.
Salman's concerns are valid; despite strong business relations between the two nations, a February Gallup poll found more than half of the respondents had an unfavorable view of Saudi Arabia.
Still, US opinion of the oil-rich country has improved, in part due to Trump's public stance on Saudi Arabia.
Early on Trump condemned Saudi Arabia for treating women like “slaves” and implied the country was behind 9/11, but his May 2017 trip began a significant shift. He signed a $110 billion investment deal with the country and in November seemed to praise an anti-corruption purge, saying he had "great confidence" in the country's leaders.
"Saudi Arabia and its public relations firms and allies in the United States have already spent a lot of money in trying to present the new Saudi crown prince as a different form of political leader," Hashemi told Al Jazeera.
Ahead of his official meetings, CBS News' 60 Minutes already aired an interview with the young royal, who lauded his stance on enhancing human rights, and his desire to change the country's troubled reputation. The interview didn't ask hard questions on the country's human rights record and has been panned as a "crime against journalism."
Salman's global business ventures depend on the country's image
Salman's diplomacy tour may aim to ease investor concerns over the nation's heavily-criticized human rights record.
When visiting the UK earlier this month, Salman discussed investment opportunities and trade deals with UK Prime Minister Theresa May who lightly challenged his record on human rights.
The Crown Prince also had lunch with the Queen and other members of the royal family, resulting in a perfect diplomatic photo-op.
But there's a lot at stake during Salman's visit to the US, including strengthening the country's defense and nuclear ambitions.
The US has been in quiet talks with Saudi Arabia to enhance its nuclear program, which it has said may be used to develop nuclear weapons in response to its rival Iran.
Saudi oil giant Aramco has also been eyeing an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, a deal which the US has been eager to facilitate.
Saudi Arabia is also reportedly in talks with Google's parent company Alphabet to build a tech hub in the Middle East, and has discussed licensing with Apple and Amazon to bring US tech to the region. |
Social Impact 360, the Only Youth-Led Movement for Business for Social Good, Announced 1st Service | NEW YORK, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At the height of the youth uprising, a second youth movement is poised to solve social issues.
On April 21st, 2018, Social Impact 360 (SI360), the only youth-led movement in the business sector dedicated to solving social issues, today announced it is creating the 1st Service Corps for Business for Good.
Youth movement leaders announce 1st Service Corps for Business for Good: Katherine Fagan, SI360 National Council Chair, Kelly Rodgers, activist, March For Our Lives NYC Organizer, Nupol Kiazolu, President of the Youth Coalition for Black Lives Matter Greater NY and Founder of the Vote 2000 campaign, Delaney Colaio. Social Impact 360 Howard student leaders at Shift Series 2018.
A Teach for America meets Tesla, the 1st Service Corps for Business for Good will activate more than 1,000 SI360 alumni at startups and major companies nationwide on one-year service projects in the business sector. Their goal is to transform companies into socially responsible entities. SI360's alumni base includes young CEO's and accomplished innovators at companies such as Google, Tesla, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Accenture. SI360 alumni have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and MIC.
"SI360's youth-led movement is here to change the business sector. We are dedicated to building businesses where social impact and the bottom line are valued equally, and the Service Corps for Business for Good will create that future by providing companies an affordable service to repurpose policies for social good and become more socially responsible," said Allison Alt, SI360's Executive Director.
The announcement was made at SI360's Shift Series Conference in partnership with youth leaders from SI360, March for Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, the Head of Campaigns for DoSomething.org, Michaela Bethune, the largest organization mobilizing youth, and Board Chair of the American Sustainable Business Council, Steven Salsberg.
"The American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and our member network of more than 250,000 companies are thrilled to see the launch of Social Impact 360's 1st Service Corps for Business for Good and to partner with its efforts. The spirit of responsible innovation that the youth of SI360 bring is exactly what business and our economy need today. The raising of youth voices and their strong drive to create more responsible and sustainable businesses is an important step to addressing the pressing issues of our time," said David Levine, Co-Founder and CEO of ASBC.
SI360's grassroots, peer-to-peer youth network was created by college students at Georgetown and acts as a Dead Poet's Society for young social entrepreneurs, teaching youth to build businesses for a social purpose. Social Impact 360 (SI360) is the first and largest mentoring organization in the country for training young social entrepreneurs at colleges nationwide.
SI360's Shift Series featured pioneers in business for social change from Deloitte, Kenneth Cole, Ellevest, Vimeo, MIC, Raffa, Campbell's Soup, BLab, Perlman & Perlman, and Phone2Action. Visit: https://socialimpact360.org/conference
Companies wishing to partner on the Service Corps: Contact Allison Alt, allison.alt@si360.org. For more information, visit https://socialimpact360.org/.
Media Contact:
Allison Alt, Executive Director, Social Impact 360
Phone: (352) 359-1108
Email: 193908@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Social Impact 360 |
Michael van Gerwen cruises to World Darts Championship title with crushing victory over Gary Anderson | Michael van Gerwen was untouchable in 2016 with 25 trophies to his name and started 2017 no different, defeating Gary Anderson to win the World Darts Championship title on Monday night.
The Dutchman described this stage as his on the eve of this epic final. When Anderson – a two-time winner of this tournament – had the audacity to step foot on it, Van Gerwen showed why.
The man known as Mighty Mike won 7-3 and showed precisely why he is seen by some as the heir to Phil Taylor’s throne, taking home the Sid Waddell Trophy and £350,000 prize money.
Dutch sensation Michael van Gerwen produced a scintillating display at Alexandra Palace
There were 42 180s thrown here – a record for the most ever maximums in a match, beating the 34 from the final between Anderson and Adrian Lewis last year.
Anderson was trying to join Taylor and Eric Bristow in the history books by winning a third consecutive world title here but his opponent on the oche gave him no chance.
Van Gerwen always said he would swap the 25 titles he won in 2016 to be crowned world champion, so desperately did he want this.
In 2014 he beat Peter Wright 7-4 to win his first world title. His second was more straightforward, though the Flying Scotsman put up a fight at first.
It was fast and furious as they got to 1-1, both averaging 107, before then moving to 2-2.
Yet from then on, it was an onslaught. Van Gerwen ran away with it, winning 7-3.
Two-time defending champion Gary Anderson struggled to deal with a rampant Van Gerwen
Van Gerwen was labelled the Lionel Messi of Darts by this newspaper, and the Michael Jordan of it by The New York Times before the tournament began. Here, with each unerring dart, we found out why.
There was controversy when a person stormed the stage and picked up the Sid Waddell Trophy, holding it aloft to the crowd before being tackled by security.
Van Gerwen didn’t care, though, as he was crowned a world champion once more. |
Taubman to Present “American Impressionism in the Garden” Exhibition | On view for the first time together, these works by artists such as John Singer Sargent and Frederick Childe Hassam explore the tremendous impact of the Impressionist art movement (1880-1910) on American artists at the turn of the 19th century.
The Taubman Museum of Art is will present American Impressionism in the Garden , a special ticketed exhibition featuring significant paintings and sculptures by renowned American artists who celebrated gardens as a compelling subject during an era of vibrant gardening culture.
Organized by the New York Botanical Garden, American Impressionism in the Garden includes several new loans of art selected by the Taubman Museum of Art. The exhibition includes works of art from major institutions across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, N.Y., Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., and Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Va., among others.
During the late 19th century, many American Impressionist artists studied alongside their French counterparts in Paris and Giverny to capture light’s fleeting effects by painting en plein air, meaning outside and not in a studio. Back in the United States, they distinguished themselves from their French counterparts by depicting uniquely American subjects—notably, the garden.
“Their embrace of Impressionism’s brilliant palette and vibrant brushwork inspired these artists to create masterful images of the American garden – both public and private,” said Amy Moorefield, deputy director of exhibitions and collections at the Taubman Museum of Art. “The American Garden Movement, in turn, nurtured popular appreciation for gardens, creating a large and enthusiastic audience for these beautiful paintings well into the 1920s.”
During this vibrant period in horticultural history, many Americans who could afford to move outside cities into suburbs began to beautify their homes with gardens. A symbol of “the good life,” gardens were considered a sanctuary enhancing health and wellbeing. Private homes incorporated conservatories, terrariums, greenhouses, and gardens to be filled with flora, both regional and exotic.
In the late 1800s, the invention of gardening clubs and how-to books accelerated Americans’ interest. Additionally, the era saw the development of major urban parks, the U.S. national park system, and widespread popularity of a simplified domestic garden style inspired by the informal dooryard gardens of the colonial era. The American old-fashioned garden featured domestic horticultural beauty such as hollyhocks, peonies, irises, lilies, foxgloves, cornflowers, bleeding hearts, columbines, primroses, and sweet peas as the standards, flowers that are still beloved today. It was this lushly planted “homegrown” garden that inspired American Impressionists.
In addition to painters depicting the specimens of the gardens, American Impressionist artists such as Maria Oakey Dewing, Hugh Henry Breckinridge, and John H. Twachtman created their own gardens as living works of art and outdoor studios for en plein air painting. Several of the artists exhibited worked together in artist colonies in picturesque locations, with one of the most popular being at renowned gardener Florence Griswold’s large family home in the coastal village of Old Lyme, Conn., titled Lyme Art Colony. Coined the “American Giverny,” Lyme Art Colony attracted artists Mathilde Brown, Edmund William Greacen, and Frederick Childe Hassam to paint and commune with nature.
American Impressionists’ vibrant paintings of the nation’s native and verdant gardens emboldened the public to look at their own private and public spaces in a new light. In an era of rapid industrialization, these fragrant gardens and the beautiful paintings that depicted them provided necessary respite for Americans from the quickly changing times.
Tickets are available at TaubmanMuseum.org/Impressionism or by calling 540.342.5760. Member tickets are free. For those who are not members, exhibition tickets for adults (18 and older) are $8; college students and seniors (65 and older) are $6; and youth (17 and under) are free.
American Impressionism in the Garden was initiated by The New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, N.Y., and was curated in part by Linda S. Ferber, Ph.D. Travel of this exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities. |
Italy renews attemptS to form a government and end turmoil | By Giuseppe Fonte
ROME, May 30 (Reuters) - Italy's political crisis moved into unchartered waters on Wednesday, as the head of state sought a last-minute political compromise to end the three-month search for a government and restore calm to financial markets.
Prime Minister-designate Carlo Cottarelli, tasked by the president with calming tensions and laying plans for repeat elections later this year, raised hopes of a breakthrough on Wednesday with comments suggesting compromise was in the air.
Italy has searched for a government since inconclusive elections in March. Two anti-establishment parties came close to forming a ruling coalition last weekend, but backed away after the president demanded a change in their cabinet lineup.
The 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League abandoned their bid to take power in a coalition after President Sergio Mattarella vetoed their choice of 81-year-old eurosceptic Paolo Savona as economy minister.
The prospect of the political crisis being drawn out further with possible new elections later this year has brought turmoil to financial markets.
But Cottarelli, whom Mattarella brought in as a stop-gap prime minister, was quoted by ANSA news agency as saying that new possibilities had emerged "for the birth of a political government," implying that a government headed by politicians rather than technocrats like himself could be in the offing.
"These circumstances, also considering the market tensions, have caused me to wait for further developments."
The 5-Star also seemed willing to rethink its weekend decision to defy the president's veto and go back to elections.
The parties are now trying to find "a point of compromise on another name" for the economy ministry, said a source close to 5-Star, the single-biggest party in the new parliament.
League leader Matteo Salvini, who is surging in opinion polls, appeared to throw cold water on the notion that his party and 5-Star could try again to form a coalition.
He said Italy should return to an election as soon as possible. "The earlier we vote the better because it's the best way to get out of this quagmire and confusion," he told reporters.
He did, however, appear open to an interim administration to govern for a few months, saying an election at the end of July would be "disruptive" for Italian seasonal workers.
He invited Mattarella to make the first move, to "explain to us how we can get out of this situation". A League source said the party would not block any quick political solution that would enable Italy to deal with possible "emergencies".
Cottarelli, currently, has no major parliamentary support for a stopgap government of technocrats.
Despite the softer tone from 5-Star and Cottarelli's intriguing remark, a top adviser to Salvini said the League was not prepared to abandon Savona, the sole obstacle to the League and 5-Star winning the president's blessing for a coalition.
Repeat elections are likely to lead to a eurosceptic government in Rome, a prospect that has rocked financial markets, with the euro sinking to multi-month lows.
ECB WATCHING CLOSELY
The European Central Bank is keeping a watchful eye on the market rout and political crisis engulfing Italy but sees no reason to intervene at this time, sources said.
Three officials told Reuters the ECB was not considering taking action because indicators were not yet showing signs of stress among banks and the central bank did not have the tools or mandate to solve what was essentially a political crisis.
A surprise breakthrough between the president and 5-Star/League would ease uncertainty but still usher in a coalition planning to ramp up spending in the heavily indebted nation and push for changes to European Union and euro-zone fiscal rules.
In the event of continued stalemate, Italy will go back to elections, with most major parties calling for the president to dissolve parliament and hold a vote as soon as July 29.
A recent opinion poll showed the League, which says fiscal rules governing the euro zone are "enslaving" Italians, would take a quarter of the vote, up from 17 percent on March 4.
The IPSOS poll, carried out on May 16-17 and published in the Corriere della Sera newspaper on Wednesday, showed support for the League's would-be coalition partner, the 5-Star Movement, steady at about 32.6 percent -- implying a much more comfortable majority if the pair were to try again to govern.
"I am worried by the direction things are moving in," said Diego Galli, a Rome resident interviewed on the street, adding that the anti-establishment coalition "seems extremist, against Europe".
Italian government bonds, which suffered one of its most dramatic speculative attacks in years on Tuesday, found some support from local investors on Wednesday.
The yield on 10-year bonds edged away from four-year highs and two-year yields, the focus of earlier attacks, also fell.
Shares in Italian banks also recovered a little ground after five straight days of losses.
(Additional reporting by Steve Scherer, Gavin Jones, Giselda Vagnoni, Steve Jewkes, Dhara Ranasinghe, Helen Reid, Sujata Rao, Marc Jones, Michael Nienaber and Antonio Denti Writing by Mark Bendeich Editing by Richard Balmforth) |
Thunder's playoffs on the brink against practical Jazz team | Rick Bowmer/AP
The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to be built for moments like these NBA playoffs, but are instead falling short on the biggest stage.
After a 113-96 loss to the Utah Jazz in Game 4 on Monday, the Thunder are now trailing 3-1 in the series and on the verge of elimination in the first round of the postseason.
This, of course, is not what the Thunder had in mind when they traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, stacking an explosive super-team roster with hopes of contending with the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder struggled and underwhelmed at times in the regular season, but many though — including the Thunder — that they could turn it on for the playoffs.
However, through four games, the Thunder have been bested by a Jazz team that looks like the polar opposite on paper. If not for the breakout of rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, they'd perhaps be a starless team. They're composed of strong, two-way players who fill roles, execute, and often exceed expectations under head coach Quin Snyder, a strong candidate for Coach of the Year.
There haven't been any magic matchups or adjustments or tricky game plans that have titled the series in the Jazz's favor. Instead, they're merely beating the Thunder in practical ways. In some cases, the Thunder are beating themselves.
Much in the same way the Golden State Warriors have attacked the Cleveland Cavaliers' foundational flaw in past NBA Finals, the Jazz have made it their mission to hunt out the Thunder's — Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, never a strong defender, to begin with, is a year older and a step slower, and the Jazz have often involved his man in pick-and-rolls so they can attack him.
The Thunder's defensive rotations have been a mess. Below, Anthony didn't fully rotate over to deny Rudy Gobert's roll to the rim. George attempted to defend in space but didn't commit in any direction, including stopping Gobert. If Ricky Rubio wanted to go elsewhere, Jae Crowder or Joe Ingles could have been open for three-pointers.
There are reasons teams base entire offenses around the pick-and-roll — it's hard to defend and puts opponents in difficult positions. But the Thunder aren't exactly facing the Warriors' pick-and-roll attack, either. It's not easy to stop, but it's relatively basic basketball.
The Thunder could perhaps better position themselves by going under picks or having the big man defending the screen drop further back. According to Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript, head coach Billy Donovan has only insisted that the team is better off playing more aggressively against the pick-and-roll.
The problems go beyond Anthony, however. Russell Westbrook declared after Rubio's Game 3 triple-double that he would "shut that s--- down," but that missed the more significant point on what's been plaguing the Thunder.
At times, it can be challenging to diagnose all that goes wrong in a possession. Below, Westbrook didn't stay in front of Rubio, Anthony didn't block Rubio's drive, Adams didn't help off Gobert (a non-shooter), George helped way too far off of Ingles (a great shooter). All in all, it's a recipe for disaster against a Jazz team that is executing efficiently.
The transition defense hasn't been better, either. In the play below, George took an unnecessary gamble on a steal, and then didn't communicate any switch. Anthony covered a corner with nobody in it. Jerami Grant covered Derrick Favors and then never stepped up to contest the shot.
Compounding the problems have been the Thunder's offense, particularly the shooting woes of the Big 3. After an explosive Game 1, George has shot just 38% from the field and 31% from three. Anthony is shooting 37% and 23% from three. Westbrook is shooting 36%, 21% from three.
Gobert's defense in the middle has caused problems for the Thunder, particularly Westbrook, whose game relies so heavily on relentless rim attacks.
The above is an open layup, but Gobert's presence forced Westbrook to take off earlier than usual. After having his layup attempt swatted by Gobert earlier in the first quarter, Westbrook seemed wary as he put the ball up to the glass.
While the Thunder's shot profile for the series still looks reasonably efficient — a majority of shots have come from in the paint and above-the-break threes — their lack of ball movement and propensity of their star players to take hurried "home run" shots has hurt them. According to Katz, the Thunder at one point went 22 minutes without an assist in Game 4.
This George three — from 33 feet out, according to NBA.com/Stats — came after a defensive stop. It would have cut the lead to nine had it gone in. Instead, a long rebound led to a Jazz transition basket that pushed the lead to 14.
Some of the Thunder's struggles are bad luck. Over the last three games, the Thunder are shooting just 32% on catch-and-shoot opportunities and only 40% on "wide open" shots — shots with no defender within six feet. Logic would suggest that talented scorers like Westbrook, George, and Anthony — the latter of whom struggled with efficiency all season — would warm up at some point in the series. But time is running out.
Add in the Thunder's rebounding and turnover woes — they rank 14th and 12th in both categories in the playoffs — and there's little that the Thunder are doing even above-average. Their offense has sank to dead-last in efficiency in the postseason. All of it is a bad recipe against a technically sound Jazz team that has been rolling since the All-Star break.
The Thunder know as well as any team that a 3-1 series lead does not mean it's over — they had the Warriors against the ropes in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, only to lose three straight games. But a team built for the playoffs is floundering with some of the most basic tenets of playoff basketball — defense, rebounding, turnovers, and shot creation.
A first-round loss would bring up gigantic questions for a team that was built to achieve more than just a postseason berth. That it could come at the hands of a well-rounded team without a household name would only make it crueler. |
After Mastectomy, Young Woman's Tattoo Helps Her Feel Whole Again | Nicole was only 23 when she had a double mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis. After she recovered, Nicole got a chest tattoo that symbolizes how she wants to live life after cancer.
Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. |
High Qld public service growth to continue | Queensland's hospital staff numbers could continue to grow at rates well beyond population growth, the state's health minister says.
The Palaszczuk Labor government has been criticised for increasing the highest-paid roles in the public service at three times the rate of the overall sector during its first term in office.
Health Minister Steven Miles defended that contrast, saying 75 per cent of those top level positions were in Queensland Health, and 96 per cent of those were frontline medical positions including doctors and other health professionals.
He said the government had rebuilt the health system as part of its broader push to undo the previous Newman LNP government's cuts to the public sector, with 14,000 positions cut between 2012 and 2015.
However, Mr Miles said the sector could keep growing well above the state's population growth rate of 1.75 per cent over the current term of government in an attempt to meet growing demand.
"From here on the projections will more closely match population growth, however I'd emphasise that demand on our hospitals is increasing at a rate greater than population growth," Mr Miles told reporters on Monday.
"For example, next year we're projecting that demand growth will be more like 5.2 per cent and the difference between population and demand growth needs to be met with funding and new efficiencies in the system, and we're working on both of those."
The government has previously said its aim is to bring public service growth in line with population growth.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington claims the top-heavy hiring shows Labor is building an inefficient public service.
"Under (Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk the public service wages bill has increased by $4 billion, but services have declined," Ms Frecklington said in a statement
"Under Labor, Queenslanders are paying more but getting less."
Queensland public service positions classed as Senior Officer or above attract a starting salary of at least $147,000 a year, and increased by 30 per cent over the state Labor government's first term - from 13,797 in December 2014 to 17,955 in December last year.
By contrast, the total public sector increased by 10 per cent over the same period, from 196,856 in December 2014 to 218,957 in December 2017. |
AP FACT CHECK: GOP questions on bump stocks ignore details | WASHINGTON (AP) - It's not every day - or every year or every decade - you see Republicans raising questions about whether Democrats were tough enough on gun control when they were in power.
Such is the case now as political debate stirs over a regulatory decision approving the use of "bump stocks" like those possessed by the Las Vegas gunman.
Some Republicans are gingerly asking whether the Obama administration was on the ball when it approved the device in 2010. Gingerly, perhaps, because both parties are in some ways complicit in allowing the device to become available to killers even as they seem willing to join now in restricting or banning them.
In this Oct. 4, 2017, photo, a device called a "bump stock" is attached to a semi-automatic rifle at the Gun Vault store and shooting range in South Jordan, Utah. The National Rifle Association announced its support Ton Oct. 5 for regulating the devices that can effectively convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automated weapons and that were apparently used in the Las Vegas massacre to lethal effect. It was a surprising shift for the leading gun industry group, which in recent years has resolutely opposed any gun regulations. Immediately afterward the White House, too, said it was open to such a change. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
A product that can make a semi-automatic weapon fire almost as rapidly as a machine gun was clearly under the radar of political Washington until the massacre of 58 people by a man whose astonishing personal arsenal included bump stocks. Lawmakers in both parties are saying they hadn't heard of the device until this week or known much about it. "A lot of us are coming up to speed (on) just what this is," said House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Here's a sampling of the rhetoric:
KELLYANNE CONWAY, adviser to President Donald Trump: "It was President Obama's ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, in 2010 that decided not to regulate this device. ... That should be part of the conversation." - to CNN on Thursday
RYAN, on that agency's decision: "Was it a regulatory misstep by ATF some number of years ago?" - news conference Thursday
REP. KEVIN McCARTHY, House majority leader: "I do not know why the ATF actually approved this under Barack Obama." - to Fox News on Thursday
THE FACTS: Yes, approval of the device was an Obama-era decision.
But there's more. Republicans by and large did not support Democratic legislation that would have restricted bump stocks. Such a provision was contained in a 2013 bill pushed by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California.
There's still more, though. The provision was in a bill that had little hope of GOP support because it sought to restore a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons, a non-starter for many in the GOP.
Legislation often contains pieces that might win bipartisan support if they were not entangled in sweeping measures unpalatable to the other side.
So, in essence, neither party in Congress had the foresight to take a clean run against bump stocks and similar devices before they were put to such lethal use.
In a June 2010 letter, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told the manufacturer that it considered the device to be outside its regulatory jurisdiction, thereby posing no obstacle to its marketing. The bureau noted that the device was intended to help people whose hands have limited mobility and that it had no automatically functioning parts. Constant forward pressure with the non-shooting hand and constant rearward pressure with the shooting hand were required for it to work, the letter said. |
Andersson the understated symbol of post-Ibrahimovic Sweden - NBC12 - WWBT - Richmond, VA News On Your Side | (AP Photo/Martin Meissner). Sweden head coach Janne Andersson celebrates with teammates after winning the round of 16 match between Switzerland and Sweden at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, J...
(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky). Sweden head coach Janne Andersson, right, embraces Sweden's Ludwig Augustinsson at the end of the match during the round of 16 match between Switzerland and Sweden at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium, i...
(AP Photo/Martin Meissner). Sweden head coach Janne Andersson gestures during the round of 16 match between Switzerland and Sweden at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, July 3, 2018.
(AP Photo/Darko Bandic). Sweden fans celebrate on the stand at the end of the round of 16 match between Switzerland and Sweden at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg Stadium, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Sweden won 1-0.
By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - A merry band of about a thousand yellow-clad Sweden fans stayed after the game, singing in a stand behind the goal and ignoring repeated requests from the stadium announcer to make their way out.
Their team had just reached a World Cup quarterfinal for the first time in 24 years, and they were going to enjoy the moment.
The object of their affections was clear.
"It feels quite extraordinary and quite strange," Sweden coach Janne Andersson said. "The fact that they are staying on after the game, calling out and shouting my name, just makes you want to go out and thank them."
So he did, emerging back out from the dressing room with captain Andreas Granqvist to applaud the block of supporters who had been the most vocal throughout the 1-0, round-of-16 win over Switzerland on Tuesday.
In 39 years as a player and then a coach, Andersson hasn't worked outside Sweden, and many of his clubs were in the country's lower leagues, like Alets and Laholms.
Bespectacled, thick set and with short, cropped hair, the 55-year-old Andersson has no global profile, although that might be about to change with a quarterfinal against England on Saturday.
Through his insistence on working as a team (or as a "collective," as he often says), Andersson has changed the national team's philosophy. No more cult of the individual - Zlatan Ibrahimovic ruled the team for more than a decade before retiring from international play in 2016 - but instead an emphasis on the team.
"If I'm the symbol, I can live with that but this is very much about the team, not about me or any other individual," Andersson said. "Football is a team sport and this team really personifies that approach. We share. We work for each other on and off the pitch. I'm incredibly happy it's paying off. Football is a game played by a team. Never forget that."
Was that an indirect reference to Ibrahimovic, who often refers to himself as "God" or a "lion?"
Sweden is doing better at this World Cup than it ever did with Ibra.
Andersson's Sweden is hard-working, well-drilled, tough to break down - and dull to watch.
"I would not call you boring," Switzerland playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri told Swedish reporters after Tuesday's game, "but people at home may not like watching you."
Sweden has three shutouts in four games despite a possession disadvantage: 29 percent against Germany, 35 percent versus Mexico and 37 percent against Switzerland. Tactics include long passes to 6-foot-4 (1.92 meter) striker Ola Toivonen and throw-ins into the penalty area with the hope of flick-ons.
"We are right on the mark everywhere," midfielder Albin Ekdal said. "It's incredibly difficult to score against us."
After the victory against Switzerland, Andersson deflected a question about whether Sweden is starting to think about winning its first World Cup. Its side of the bracket opened with the exits of Germany, Spain, Portugal and Argentina.
"If you start to lower the bar or the level of ambition, that's not going to make for satisfaction," he said.
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More AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/WorldCup
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Steve Douglas is at www.twitter.com/sdouglas80
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
U.N. condemns Congo's 'unlawful' crackdown on protests | DAKAR (Reuters) - The United Nations on Monday condemned Congolese security forces for killing at least 47 people, including women and children, in “unlawful and unjustified” crackdowns on protests during 2017 and early this year.
Democratic Republic of Congo is facing growing public unrest since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down after his mandate expired at the end of December 2016, and after repeated delays to an election meant to replace him.
Security forces shot dead at least six people and wounded dozens others during an anti-Kabila protest organized by the Catholic church in January this year. A similar incident in December 2017 left at least seven dead.
A report U.N. Human Rights Office said that Congolese authorities used lethal force on protesters and attempted to cover up rights abuses by hiding dead bodies after protests calling for Kabila to arrange long delayed elections.
“It is particularly disturbing that security services and defense forces carry out this violence with almost full impunity,” said Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in the DRC Leila Zerrougui in the report.
Another two people were killed by security forces during church-led demonstrations against the government last month.
Kabila has denied accusations of excessive force, rejecting charges against his security forces during a press conference in January.
The opposition accuses him of pushing back the election date in order to cling to power. The polls, which were initially scheduled for November 2016, are now set to take place in December this year. But the electoral commission has since said they may not be possible until at least April 2019. |
Beaumont man arrested as suspect in Banning woman’s death | Banning police arrested a 21-year-old Beaumont man Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the death of a woman who was found dead about 10 a.m. that day, at a residence in the 500 block of North Hathaway Street, according to a police news release.
Police identified Devonta Leonard as the suspect but did not elaborate on whether he knew the victim. He was arrested at an apartment on North Hathaway and booked on suspicion of homicide, police said Wednesday.
Police were dispatched to a suspicious circumstances call after receiving several reports that there was a possible dead body at the location. They found a dead female inside a residence.
Although the Banning victim’s family has been notified of her death, a Riverside County Sheriff/Coroner’s report states that her name and age is being withheld at the request of law enforcement.
The coroner’s release states that the date of injury and location of injury are pending investigation, and that the woman died at the residence. |
Man robbed after meeting online date, Conn. police say | Authorities say a man went to a New Haven, Connecticut home to meet his date and was robbed by two suspects. Google Maps |
Burkina Faso to identify victims after deadly café attack | Forensic scientists in Burkina Faso on Monday were trying to establish the identity of the 18 people who died in Sunday night's attack on a restaurant in Ouagadougou. At least one of the victims was French, prosecutors in Paris said, adding that they would open a terrorism investigation.
Condemning a "disgusting attack", President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré vowed that his country's "valiant people" would "put up a resistance to terrorism with no concessions" after security forces had put an end to the attack and hostage-taking on Monday morning.
The victims were of various nationalities and two attackers were also killed, officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack and praised the "effiective mobilisation" of the Burkinabé security forces.
Macron and his counterpart in the former French colony, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, were to discuss the situation later Monday.
The operation finished at about 5.00am Monday, Communications Minister Remis Dandjinou announced on RFI.
Two of the four reported attackers were among the 18 dead, while about 10 people were injured.They had been rushed to hospital where doctors said during the night that they were in a critical condition.
The attack on the Aziz Istanbul café-restaurant started at about 9.00pm, witnesses reporting two assailants armed with Kalashnikovs arriving on a motorcycle and opening fire, followed by three following later in a four-wheel drive vehicle and opening fire.
The restaurant was often used by foreigners and officials said that customers of various nationalities were present at the time.Turkey has said that one of its citizens were among the dead.
Close to site of previous attack
France, the former colonial power, advised its nationals to stay away from the area and declared that it was standing with the Burkinabé people and authorities "in this painful moment".
The Aziz Istanbul is about 200 metres from the café Capuccino, which was the target of an attack claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb that killed 30 and injured 71 in January 2016.
There have been several attacks and kidnappings in Burkina Faso in the last two years and an Australian and a Romanian, who were taken captive in 2015 are still being held by an Al Qaeda-linked group.
Burkina Faso is one of the five African countries cooperatiing in the G5 force to combat armed groups and smuggling in the Sahel region. |
Stuart Pearce warns Gareth Southgate off allowing WAGs | Stuart Pearce, the former England player with the most knowledge of WAGs at World Cups, has warned manager Gareth Southgate not to allow them near his squad in Russia.
England look likely to be staying outside St Petersburg, which will be a very popular and accessible venue for the players’ friends and families to establish a base.
And the WAGs will be welcome in the camp at certain times, with Southgate saying after qualification was sealed on Thursday: ‘I want their families to be able to come in at the right moments.’
Stuart Peace's partner Carol Day was in charge of looking after the WAGs at 2006 World Cup
But former England U21 boss Pearce had been well informed by a primary source before he said on talkSPORT this week that Southgate should keep the WAGs well away from the team environment or risk players losing focus.
Pearce recalled how some players during the 2006 World Cup had even been phoned by their wives and told to come to their hotel so they could have a break from looking after the children.
Pearce’s partner Carol Day is a former FA teams’ administrator who had the unenviable task of looking after the WAGs in 2006, when their antics in Baden-Baden became a media circus that overshadowed the team’s performances.
The stories from those near four weeks in the Brenners Park Hotel in company with Victoria Beckham, Cheryl Cole, Abbey Clancy, Carly Zucker, Coleen Rooney, Elen Rivas, Neville Neville and the Carragher clan are part of football folklore. Day, who seemingly accompanies Pearce everywhere on his football travels, would know about all of them — and more besides.
The fall-out from Baden-Baden saw the FA have nothing to do with the WAGs at subsequent tournaments at which they were left to make their own arrangements.
The presence of Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham (right) created a media circus in Germany
Brown steps in after Sweeney drops out
The appointment of highly rated Twickenham insider Stephen Brown, the former chief of the England 2015 Rugby World Cup organisers, as RFU chief executive looked straightforward. But it certainly got less complicated after British Olympic Association chief Bill Sweeney decided to drop out because of unfinished business at the BOA.
FA learn lessons in search for Sampson's replacement
It is a prominent part of the job advert to replace Mark Sampson as England women’s senior head coach that ‘successful candidates would need to be willing to undertake background screening as part of the recruitment process’.
That clearly didn’t happen in Sampson’s case. The only concrete story to emerge so far of Sampson’s ‘inappropriate and unacceptable relationships’ at Bristol Academy is Sportsmail’s revelation that he had a six-month relationship with a girl over 18. Otherwise the only incident Bristol Academy insiders remember is the relatively innocuous prank of two 17-year-old girls mooning at passing traffic while returning from a match when Sampson was said to be driving the minibus
Mark Sampson's replacement will have to be willing to undertake background screening
Wembley development less green than expected
The FA have given the impression that the massive development rising next to the walls of Wembley will have plenty of grass areas and water features to soften its impact.
But posters displayed on fences around the complex depicting the finished project show only postage-stamp patches of green within a concrete jungle. If only the FA and Sport England, whose £120million grant provided the money to buy the stadium but none of the surrounding acres, had had more ambition and vision.
Blazers in dock on tickets
The FA protocol committee, who normally waste their time debating whether dessert should be served in the Wembley VIP suite before the game or at half-time, had to deal at their meeting this week with 11 councillors breaching regulations by passing on their tickets for last season’s Football League Cup final.
The blazers are provided with tickets but only for personal use and checks at the game unmasked the culprits. They include Richard Tur, who sits on the football regulatory authority, and Southport chairman Charlie Clapham, who is on numerous committees. The FA declined to comment. |
Recognize these two? Hollywood police say they've been breaking into cars | A man and a woman have been busy burglarizing cars on Hollywood beach and then trying to use the credit cards they steal, police say.
The break-ins have been occurring in the vicinity of Surf Road and Virginia Street, about four blocks south of Hollywood Boulevard.
Police on Wednesday released images of the two caught on security video in the hopes that someone might recognize and turn them in.
Hollywood Police Department / courtesy Police say these two have been breaking into cars on Hollywood beach. Police say these two have been breaking into cars on Hollywood beach. (Hollywood Police Department / courtesy)
On a recent visit to Target, 3251 Hollywood Blvd., the duo tried to use stolen charge cards, said Officer Christian Lata, a spokesman for the Hollywood Police Department.
“The suspects were captured on camera driving a silver 2014 Mazda 2, bearing Florida tag HDNL54,” Lata said.
Hollywood Police Department / courtesy If you recognize this man, Hollywood police want to hear from you. If you recognize this man, Hollywood police want to hear from you. (Hollywood Police Department / courtesy)
The man is thought to be between 25 and 30 years old, of average height and build. He wore a black-and-white Star Wars hooded sweater and black shorts.
The woman is thought to be about the same age. She wore a sleeveless black shirt and shorts.
Hollywood Police Department / courtesy The suspected thieves drove this car to a Target store where they tried to use stolen credit cards, police say. The suspected thieves drove this car to a Target store where they tried to use stolen credit cards, police say. (Hollywood Police Department / courtesy)
Investigators ask anyone with information about the suspected thieves to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-967-4411 or 954-967-HELP. Tips can be submitted online to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org.
tealanez@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4542 or Twitter @talanez |
OCC once wanted payday lenders to 'stay the hell away' from banks. No longer | More than a decade has passed since federal regulators cracked down on partnerships between payday lenders and banks that had been designed to circumvent state interest rate caps.
Now the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, operating under newly installed leadership, has taken a notable step in the opposite direction.
The agency said Friday that it has terminated a 2002 consent order with Ace Cash Express. The decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, frees the Irving, Texas-based payday loan chain from a regulatory prohibition on partnerships with national banks.
While the action involves only one company, its implications could be substantial, according to observers on both sides of the debate over payday lending.
“It’s a sea change in terms of the atmosphere on small-dollar lending,” said Richard Eckman, a lawyer at Pepper Hamilton who structured numerous partnerships between banks and payday lenders in the early 2000s.
“I think [small-dollar loans] should be put back in the banking sector,” Otting said. Bloomberg News
If banks are again allowed to partner with payday lenders, state laws that set strict caps on consumer interest rates could be rendered toothless.
South Dakota is an example of a state that could be impacted. Sixteen months ago, the state’s voters approved a 36% interest rate cap. Critics of payday lending worry that federal banking regulators may effectively overturn such laws, and that last week’s decision by the OCC is a step down that path.
Several other states, including Connecticut, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon, have also set strict rate caps that have made it difficult for payday lenders to operate in those states.
“I think that it signals one more alarming data point in a trend that is posing a significant threat to consumer protection in states that care about it,” said Christopher Peterson, a law professor at the University of Utah and a vocal critic of the payday lending industry.
Back in the early 2000s, payday lenders had figured out how to take advantage of banks’ authority to apply the interest rate rules of their home states to consumer loans made in other states.
Such arrangements, which were often pursued by small banks with headquarters in states that had permissive rules, were derided by critics as rent-a-bank partnerships. The deals enabled payday lenders to operate in some states where they otherwise would have been barred.
The OCC’s crackdown was not subtle. In 2003, then-Comptroller of the Currency John D. Hawke Jr. told payday lenders: “Stay the hell away from national banks.”
The crackdown came in the name of preserving the safety and soundness of national banks. In October 2002, Ace Cash Express was penalized for failing to safeguard 641 customer loan files, which represented loans on the books of a partner bank in California, and had been discarded in a trash dumpster.
But some observers saw the OCC’s rationale as a pretext for purging from the banking system loans that government officials saw as excessively costly to consumers.
Ace Cash Express was not the only payday lender to be punished by the OCC in the early 2000s. In January 2003, Advance America, a large payday lending chain based in Spartanburg, S.C., agreed not to pursue partnerships with national banks unless it got permission to do so.
After the OCC made its position clear, payday lenders turned to state-chartered banks, since their regulator, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., was seen as more permissive.
But in 2005, the FDIC issued guidance designed to ensure that customers did not end up in a cycle of debt as a result of rollovers of high-cost payday loans.
Following the FDIC’s action, payday lenders largely abandoned their pursuit of bank partnerships as a way to skirt state-by-state lending rules. And in some states that still had strict interest-rate caps, such as Pennsylvania, payday lenders were forced to cease their operations.
The hostility of bank regulators to payday lending continued during the Obama administration. In 2013, the OCC and the FDIC issued regulatory guidance that led to the demise of deposit advance loans, which bore a resemblance to high-cost payday loans, even though they were made by banks.
But during the Trump administration, the regulatory pendulum for payday lending has swung in the opposite direction.
At his Senate nomination hearing last summer, Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting lamented the regulatory actions that led some big banks to stop offering the kind of small-dollar loans that are often a last resort for financially strapped consumers.
“I think they should be put back in the banking sector,” Otting said.
In October, the OCC rescinded its four-year-old guidance on deposit advance loans. And since then, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s acting director has expressed hostility toward payday lending rules that were developed during his predecessor’s tenure.
Peterson, who is a senior adviser at the Consumer Federation of America, says the OCC’s announcement last week should be viewed in the context of those other recent federal actions.
He said the regulators’ recent moves are reminiscent of steps taken by federal agencies prior to the early 2000s, which weakened the authority of states to regulate payday lending.
“We’ve been down this chipping-away path before,” Peterson said. “History is repeating itself.”
Jamie Fulmer, a spokesman for the payday loan chain Advance America, said that he is waiting to see whether the OCC’s action is a harbinger of broader changes. At least for now, Advance America’s consent order with the OCC remains in effect.
“I hope it’s a return to the principle that, if you’re going to benefit consumers in the marketplace, you really need to regulate products and services, and not specific providers,” Fulmer said.
Quote 'We’ve been down this chipping-away path before,' said Christopher Peterson, a law professor and a vocal critic of the payday lending industry. 'History is repeating itself.'
For its own part, the OCC is downplaying the importance of its decision to terminate the 16-year-old consent order with Ace Cash Express.
OCC spokesman Bryan Hubbard noted that whatever partnerships that might be pursued would be subject to guidance on risks related to banks’ third-party business relationships. That guidance was published in 2013.
Hubbard also noted that the CFPB is the primary federal regulator for Ace Cash Express, and that a 2014 consent order between the CFPB and the company is still in effect.
Referring to the last week’s action, Hubbard said in an email: “I would not characterize this as a significant change. This was an enforcement action against one company.”
Lisa McGreevy, president and CEO of the Online Lenders Alliance, which represents companies that make high-cost consumer loans, also argued that the implications of the OCC’s decision are limited.
“I don’t expect that the lifting of this particular consent decree will have any effect on the diligence with which the OCC exercise its supervisory authority with respect to bank partnerships with third parties,” she said in an email.
A spokesperson for Ace Cash Express did not return a call seeking comment. |
Before death of Kim Jong Un’s half brother, other bizarre executions carried out by North Korean leader | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . (REUTERS) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . (REUTERS)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged half brother, Kim Jong Nam has been reported to be killed at the Malaysian airport on Tuesday. Two different versions of the murder report that either he was suffocated to death by a woman carrying a cloth laced with some form of lethal liquid or that he was pricked by poisoned needles. While the motive behind the murder is still being investigated, the role of Kim Jong Un’s role in the plot is being suspected.
The number of executions that have taken place in North Korea since Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011 is astounding and the fact that he might be in some way involved in the assassination of his half brother cannot be completely ruled out. In the past 6 years, the North Korean terror is known to eliminate military and bureaucratic officials in his government for flimsy reasons like policy disagreements or lack of decorum during official meetings. South Korean think tank, National Security Strategy released a report in December 2016 stating that in the past 6 years, 340 people in North Korea have been executed by the dictatorial power. Out of these, about 140 were senior officers in his government.
Watch what else is making news
Following are some of the most bizarre cases of executions carried out by Kim Jong Un during his term.
Defense minister Hyon Yong-chol (April 2015)
In April 2015, the defense minister Hyon Yong Chol had angered the North Korean dictator when he was found dozing off during a meeting. As a punishment for his improper conduct, the
66 year old man was executed by anti-aircraft guns in front of hundreds of spectators at a military academy near Pyongyang. Reports also suggest that the defense minister had incurred the wrath of the leader because he disagreed with him on several policy decisions.
Vice premier Kim Yong Jin (August 2016)
The Vice premier for education was executed in 2016 for being an “anti-party and a counter-revolutionary member.” However a South Korean official had also reported that the official was executed for his bad sitting posture during a parliamentary session. He was later put through an aggressive interrogating during which all his other crimes were reveal and he was sentenced to a brutal death. He was reportedly killed by a firing squad.
Kim’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek (December 2013)
Apart from being Kim’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek was also a leading figure in the government of North Korea. During the last days of the previous leader Kim Jong il, it was Jang Song Thaek who managed the government. However, on December 2013, he was brutally executed by Kim Jong un for being a counter-revolutionary. He was first stripped of all his posts and removed from the Workers Party of Korea before being executed, reportedly by anti-aircraft guns. Soon after his death, a report on a Chinese newspaper noted that Jang was fed to 120 hungry dogs. The report that soon started doing the rounds was later debunked as a mere rumour. The execution of Jang though, was perhaps the most crucial among the purges carried out by the North Korean leader.
Vice premier Choe Yong-gon (May 2015)
Vice premier Choe Yong-gon was put through execution in 2015 for having expressed discomfort with the forestation policy of Kim Yong Un. Reports of the execution of the vice premier had very few details. However, Choe Yong’s appointment as vice premier was seen by analysts as a sign of bettering relations with the South.
Officials executed for watching South Korean TV soaps. (October 2014)
Ten members of the ruling Workers’ party were executed by a fire squad for watching South Korean TV soaps. While Kim’s father, Kim Jong Un had been able to keep the country insulated from the proliferation of South Korean mass media influences, the young dictator has been finding it difficult to do the same on account of the popularity of mobile phones and internet. Pirated copies of South Korean TV sops are widely available in the North Korean black market. The access to these television programmes are highly disliked by the North Korean leader and he expressed his wrath by eliminating those found watching them.
© The Indian Express Online Media Pvt Ltd |
Lions’ displays doing little to convince Carter or O’Gara | Dan Carter and Ronan O’Gara can fill a room. They walk in and inflate in size, seize the space. Today they are talking Lions and All Blacks and in a rare exception, they almost shrink from traditional certainties.
That’s what the Lions’ tour has achieved so far. It has fractured conviction and wobbled confidence.
O’Gara struggles to pick a Lions Test team. Carter says the Lions can’t beat the All Blacks with defence alone, that their attack is broken, or at least has broken down.
That final pass under pressure, the must-make tackle and the hard, flat pass at speed have all gone missing and it is damaging. Carter talks of aspirations and maybes and preparation for the match. But, cutting to the chase, how many Lions would get into the New Zealand side right now, he is asked.
“Yeah...you’re asking a very biased All Black on that one,” he says. “I can see the headline there already. You’re setting me up here!”
No, just trying to find out what you genuinely think of this Lions side, what impression it has made after losing two out the four matches played in New Zealand and how it compares to the number one side in world rugby.
He hesitates.
“Emmmm....I mean there’s some quality players in that Lions squad, but.....emm...I have to dig myself out of a hole here. I can see the headline back in New Zealand!”
Maybe concluding that no Lions player is his answer is reading in too much, or, at least no name immediately comes into his head. Brian O’Driscoll had been the standard correct reply in past tours. Precious few other names came up.
So the crossbar is lowered and the former World Player of the Year and All Black outhalf is asked to identify a player who could pose a threat in the first Test, a player who could hurt New Zealand.
After Waisake Naholo ripped through their defence for Highlanders, who in the Lions could send a frisson of fear through the All Blacks’ defensive line, who has an x-factor.
“Yeah it kind of feels like they’ve been holding back George North. He has got the potential to get that go-forward ball and can be an amazing finisher,” says Carter.
Completely different
“I think come the Test matches it’s going to be completely different to anything that we’ve seen, so I don’t think you can judge the Lions on their games to date.
“They’re still experimenting. They are there for the Test matches. Okay they might have lost a bit of confidence from what’s happened but they’ve still got two extremely tough and important games where they can work on things.”
What nobody knows, maybe even Warren Gatland, is who is going to work on things and in what position they are going to work. Neither Carter or O’Gara knows which outhalf Gatland will play. Owen Farrell has been the standout player but there could be a temptation to play Johnny Sexton at 10 and Farrell in the centre, casting out both Robbie Henshaw or Ben Te’o.
But two playmakers, at least for O’Gara, is one too many for the first Test outing.
“I don’t think so, no,” says O’Gara with typical candour.
“I don’t see how he can start the two of them in a Test match. I just think it’s a good idea maybe with 30 minutes to go. But starting Johnny at 10, it means playing Farrell at 12. Physically I just don’t think it’s a good idea for the first 30 minutes against Sonny Bill Williams or whoever they are going to play in the centre.
“I think they are two 10s to be honest. I think Farrell plays his best rugby at 10. I think he’s an exceptional player when he has full control.
“Up to yesterday I would probably have gone with Farrell but I don’t know,” he adds. “I think his performances for the last 24 months have been better than anyone else’s as a 10.
“But he missed a bad kick [v Highlanders]. I know it’s only once but it was still a bad kick, so that’s why the alarm bells went off in my head. Are they going to play Halfpenny in this game to kick the points?”
The All Blacks want to build their legacy, add to history, says Carter. It is a once-every-12-year opportunity that not all players experience. It means something and the bigger the player the more it means. Here at least there is certainty.
“When that [2005] Lions series did come around, everything in and around it was just at another level,” he says. “To me it felt like a stepping stone to stamping my name on the world stage. “ |
Alan Dershowitz Tries Smearing Cynthia Nixon, But Gets Mocked Instead | The former actress announced the candidacy in a video she shared online. But many people who are biased against pro-Palestinian rights advocates called her a "bigot."
I love New York, and today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor. Join us: https://t.co/9DwsxWW8xX pic.twitter.com/kYTvx6GZiD — Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) March 19, 2018
Former actress Cynthia Nixon has launched her campaign for New York governor with an ad that has touched thousands of online users -- so much so that her announcement went viral on Twitter.
Despite her popularity, however, the candidacy has already started to bother some strong voices against Palestinians, such as lawyer and Israel advocate Alan Dershowitz.
As people on Twitter celebrated Nixon’s campaign and promises, Dershowitz blasted the candidate by calling her a bigot.
Yeah, you read that right.
Cynthia Nixon may run for Gov of NY. She has collaborated with Israel haters Jewish Voice for Peace and Vanessa Redgrave in boycotting Israel. Do not support her bigotry. — Alan Dershowitz (@AlanDersh) March 17, 2018
Despite his claims, even Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)'s Executive Director Rebecca Vilkomerson mocked Dershowitz’s comments regarding Nixon’s candidacy, appearing to side with the former actress.
Hahahahaha this should be worth a lot of endorsements! Cc @jvplive https://t.co/gGZ8UIQriD — Rebecca Vilkomerson (@RVilkomerson) March 19, 2018
According to Dershowitz, Nixon is a bigot for joining with “Israel haters” and collaborating with them.
However, when Nixon signed a petition in 2010 supporting Israeli artists who refused to perform in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, she wasn’t standing alone against Jewish men and women. She was actually joining prominent Jewish and Israeli personalities, such as Theodore Bikel, Ed Asner, and Tony Kushner. The movement prompted Jewish Voice for Peace to draft a statement signed by Nixon and over 150 other film and theater professionals.
Dershowitz, who has been supportive of President Donald Trump, appears to have already started a smear campaign against Nixon because of her support for people’s choices regarding the Israeli state. Thankfully, his claims appear to have not caught on as social media users are all about Nixon and her plan to fix New York.
"Go get our girl*."
*New York State https://t.co/C9bcBRvRbX — Alex Bedder (@itgetsbedder) March 19, 2018
Samantha: I don't believe in the Republican party or the Democratic party. I just believe in parties.
Miranda: https://t.co/uFWHV7nEFB — Caro (@socarolinesays) March 19, 2018
When you realize you will never have to answer questions about Sex and the City 3 again. pic.twitter.com/N5unoZ0EMZ — Louis Peitzman (@LouisPeitzman) March 19, 2018
gotta say her positions including "Not Being Andrew Cuomo" and "Being a Different Person Than Andrew Cuomo" are very fascinating to me, a voter https://t.co/65CBm9RoOx — matt ?? lubchansky (@Lubchansky) March 19, 2018
One of the tabs on Cynthia Nixon's campaign website is called "#CuomosMTA"
"Unlike Governor Cuomo, Cynthia Nixon rides the subway every day. She understands first-hand the toll that his disastrous mismanagement of the MTA is taking on everyday New Yorkers." — erica orden (@eorden) March 19, 2018
Some notorious Twitter users, such as Rosie O’Donnell, also showed their love for Nixon and her plan for the state.
CYNTHIA NIXON FOR GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK ! #myFULLsupport - she is one of kind - brilliant - brave bold and so smart - a true leader #NIXON4NY pic.twitter.com/5hSeCDzzer — ROSIE (@Rosie) March 19, 2018
One thing I'm curious about with Cynthia Nixon's candidacy-- lots of men have jumped from showbiz to politics (Reagan, Schwarzenegger, Franken, Trump.) Will voters allow a woman to to the same? — Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) March 19, 2018
Whether Dershowitz’s smear campaign will produce the effects he desires or not, it’s clear that Nixon is widely loved and supported. It will be tough to ignore her rise as a politician. |
British and Irish Lions want urgent talks with officials to clarify kicking laws after Crusaders and Highlanders controversy | The British and Irish Lions will seek urgent talks with the new match officials that will take charge of their Test series against the All Blacks after twice being on the wrong end of refereeing calls surrounding penalty kicks.
Warren Gatland’s assistant coach, Neil Jenkins, confirmed on Wednesday that the Lions coaching team are convinced that Owen Farrell’s penalty against the Crusaders last weekend clearly went between the uprights, and that if there was any doubt from referee Mathieu Raynal and his assistant referees Angus Gardner and Pascal Gauzere, they should have consulted the television match official to review it.
That frustration quickly turned to anger during Tuesday’s 23-22 defeat by the Highlanders when Elliot Daly lined up a long-range 55-metre penalty to snatch the victory, only to be marched backwards by Gardner after asking the TMO where the penalty mark was. Gardner only took this course of action when the Highlanders’ blindside flanker, Gareth Evans, told the Australian that the mark was in the wrong place.
Ahead of this weekend’s crucial clash against the Maori All Blacks, Jenkins admitted that the Lions have been left frustrated by the calls of the departing triumvirate of officials, and will seek talks with their replacements, Jaco Peyper, Jerome Garces and Romain Poite ahead of the remainder of the tour.
Jenkins was also upset that, once Gardner moved the mark, the Lions were not given the option of reassessing if they wanted to kick for goal from 57 metres, or kick for touch and attempt to score a fourth try of the match.
“We did [argue our case] really, but it was pretty much a case of, ‘that’s what it is, we’re going back’,” Jenkins said on Wednesday. “The screen was on as well. In terms of where the mark was, he [Gardner] was probably right, but where he’s actually given it – that’s where we were taking the shot.
“I don’t know whether you [the referee] can change your mind and say, ‘I got it wrong’. If you do say that then I’d say we should have the option, so that if we want to play for touch, we can. But that wasn’t discussed, Elliot had a pop and it came up short.”
Lions video diary day 14
To say it came up short is an understatement. Daly’s kick fell agonisingly two metres short of the crossbar, about the same distance as Gardner had marched the replacement full-back backwards before allowing him to take the shot at goal. Farrell’s effort appeared to go directly over the right upright, and given there was very little in it, the TMO should have been consulted.
However, assistant referees Gardner and Gauzere looked at each other blankly and did not signal whether it had gone between the posts or not, leading to Raynal to signal for a 22m drop-out despite protestations from Farrell and Sean O’Brien falling short.
“It was over,” Jenkins insisted. “It was.
“We were in behind it and it was over. Look, it's incredibly hard to be a referee and a linesman. If you're standing underneath the posts you can't tell me if that's gone over or if it’s just crept in or not. It's quite difficult to see if you're standing quite literally [looking straight up], so you know, the referee has to take control there as well and if he's unsure then maybe you do go to the TMO.
Farrell was penalised in the win over Crusaders (Getty)
“But both me and Owen felt the kick was certainly over. It just crept in but, you know, the decision’s made and that's how it is, you've just got to get on with it.
“I've had this scenario with Wales in the World Cup in 2011 against South Africa in Wellington. It was a similar type kick on half with James Hook. As far as we were concerned the kick went over. Gats asked me at half-time, I think Wayne [Barnes] was refereeing that day, and as we were coming in and Gats was talking to me, [South Africa centre] Francois Steyn had come off and he said 'Neil, the kick was over'.
“So I said 'Gats, there you are, Frans was standing behind the posts saying it was clearly over' and this was half-time in a massive World Cup game, a crucial game.
“At the end of the day we lost by a point so that kick mattered in hindsight, obviously.”
As a result, the Lions will seek to clarify that they can request a TMO review, as Evans did for the Highlanders, if a kick is deemed to be a close call, even though their protestations in Christchurch last Saturday went unanswered.
“Well we did ask him and he didn't want to know,” Jenkins said of complaining to Raynal. “I don't see an issue, if they feel like there's an issue, is it a try, you go to the TMO. For kickers if it's there or thereabouts I don't see why it would be an issue to go to the TMO. That's my view anyway.” |
New Species of Tree discovered in Southern Belize | A new species of tree has been documented in the forests of southern Belize. The new species was discovered by plant ecologist Steven Brewer in the pristine Bladen Nature Reserve, which is co-managed by Ya’axché Conservation Trust. The new species is found in semi-evergreen tropical forests and is restricted to rugged limestone ridges and slopes such as those of the Maya Mountains. Recent taxonomic revisions have confirmed that the tree is indeed a species new to science. Fewer than 10 other individuals of the species have been documented in Belize and Guatemala, implying that the species could be threatened due to its rareness. This nitrogen-fixing tree is in the same family as rosewood and bri-bri. Representatives of the species are up to 12 meters tall, with shallowly ridged brown bark. The species is named in honor of botanist Cyrus Lundell, who first studied chicle in Belize in the 1920’s. C. Lundell is the third new tree species to be confirmed in Ya’axché’s reserves in the last year, which is a reflection of the high plant diversity of Toledo forests and indicates the importance of continued research and conservation of these unique ecosystems.
Related |
Stokes will not travel with rest of England Ashes squad - ECB | Oct 6 (Reuters) - All-rounder Ben Stokes will not travel with the rest of England's squad for the Ashes, though no final decision has been taken on his participation in the test series in Australia, the England Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday.
The 26-year-old Stokes, England's vice captain and one of their most important players, was suspended after he and team mate Alex Hales were arrested following an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub last month and released under investigation.
Pace bowler Steven Finn has been added to the Ashes squad and will travel to Australia with the rest of the team on Oct. 28, the ECB said in a statement on its website. (www.ecb.co.uk)
The five-test series starts in Brisbane on Nov. 23. (Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond) |
The Case that Bitcoin Is a Bubble | Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive |
Junior cop ‘steals’ $200 000 | Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A JUNIOR police officer stationed at ZRP Ntabazinduna Training Depot’s finance department allegedly defrauded his employer of more than $200 000 in projects funds.
Fidelis Chivavava (28) of Pumula South yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing seven counts of fraud involving $206 048, 47.
The magistrate remanded him out of custody to February 28 on $200 bail.
He ordered Chivavava to report twice a week at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Commercial Crimes Division offices in Bulawayo and to reside at his given address until the matter is finalised.
The magistrate also ordered Chivavava, who is already on suspension, not to interfere with investigations as part of the bail conditions.
The court heard that between January 1 and December 31, 2015, Chivavava was the acting finance clerk at ZRP Ntabazinduna Depot and responsible for withdrawing, holding in trust the withdrawn funds, conducting payments for suppliers and reconciling the money.
During the period between September 21 and December 31, 2016, Chivavava allegedly connived with Shonhiwa Mushonga, one Oswald, Tafadzwa Sibanda, Kelvin Moyo and Sibonginkosi Dube and transferred $14 785 belonging to ZRP Ntabazinduna Training Depot’s Mess account into their individual accounts.
During the same year, the accused person stole $19 652 from his employer’s coffers and purportedly indicated in the financial books that he paid $2 700 to Oscaria Bakery, $10 052.02 to Fortwell Wholesalers, $800 to Moyo and $5 102 to Dube. He converted the money to his personal use and in the process prejudiced ZRP of $19 652.02.
He later on double paid one Mrs E Mpofu $2 218 for goods received using the same invoice and prejudiced his employer of $1 109.
Between 18 and 19 January this year an internal audit was carried out at ZRP Ntabazinduna Training Depot and it was discovered that a total of $206 048,47 was missing.
When Chivavava was engaged over the issued he failed to account for the money. A report was made to police at Mbembesi on February 10 leading to his arrest.
The State had opposed bail through Mr Taurai Hondoyemoto, arguing that Chivavava was likely to abscond due to the gravity of the offence.
He also argued that there was no guarantee that if given bail, the accused would not interfere with ongoing investigations.
However, the magistrate ruled that the State failed to give compelling reasons warranting denial of bail.
“The reasons for opposing bail, which were proffered by the State, are not satisfactory.
“There is no way that accused would interfere with investigations since he is on suspension and in any case you don’t arrest a person before conducting investigations.
“The investigating officer is just speculating and I do not understand the State’s fears that accused would abscond, particularly taking into account that he turned himself in to the police when he heard that they were looking for him,” said Mr Tashaya.
@mashnets |
Levine: Need For Speed, Jake Arrieta’s Health Determine Cubs’ Roster For NLDS | By Bruce Levine–
WASHINGTON D.C. (CBS) — The Cubs’ 25-man roster for the National League Division Series was structured based on the proper matchups against a talented Nationals lineup and pitching staff and right-hander Jake Arrieta’s health.
The Cubs left right-handed reliever Hector Rondon off the roster for the best-of-five series that starts Friday night because of the need to carry an extra long man and a third left-handed reliever against a Nationals team that boasts lefty-swinging stars in Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy.
With Arrieta still not 100 percent after straining his right hamstring in early September, the Cubs chose to include No. 5 starter John Lackey on the roster. He’ll be in a wait-and-see mode and serve as a safety net. Should a starter struggle early in a game, he could get the call out of the bullpen. And should Arrieta have trouble with his hamstring before or in a potential Game 4, Lackey would be in line to get the ball.
Despite many struggles in the past two months, Justin Wilson was included on the NLDS roster because of the Cubs’ desire for a third lefty reliever to match up against Harper and Murphy. If left-hander Mike Montgomery has to be used earlier in a game to put out a fire, Wilson will give the Cubs a second lefty along with Brian Duensing to match up in the late innings.
The inclusion of outfielder Leonys Martin was the odd choice by the Cubs, but he has speed and is excellent defensively. The thought process was that he could serve as a pinch-runner late in the game to help manufacture a run against a tough pitching staff.
The second catcher choice was more difficult for the Cubs than many thought. Alex Avila got the nod based on his postseason experience and lefty bat. Rene Rivera was left off the roster, though he has a better arm and more power than Avila. Either way, the second catcher isn’t going to play unless Willson Contreras gets injured or a game goes extremely long.
In the case of injury in a series to anyone on the 25-man roster, the league allows a replacement. The catch is that if the player is replaced on the 25-man roster, he must miss the next round of the playoffs.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine. |
Monsoon flooding kills at least 160 across South Asia | GAUHATI, India (AP) — Heavy monsoon rains have unleashed landslides and floods that killed at least 160 people in recent days and displaced millions more across northern India, southern Nepal and Bangladesh.
Officials said Monday that they were still trying to determine the scale of the disaster, as weather forecasters predicted more rain and casualties were reported in multiple locations across the Himalayan foothills of South Asia.
Many of those killed had drowned or been caught in collapsed houses or under toppled trees.
Nepalese police were searching Monday for 85 people reported missing after rivers burst their banks and killed at least 75, according to police spokesman Pushkar Karki.
“The death toll may go up further as reports come in from remote areas,” Karki said.
The floods destroyed key rice crops in Nepal and drove thousands of farmers and their families to take shelter in schools or tents on higher ground, as water submerged roads and cut transport to affected areas. Aid workers said many did not have enough food or water.
“The heavy rains hit at one of the worst times, shortly after farmers planted their rice crop,” Sumnima Shrestha, a spokeswoman for the U.S.-based anti-poverty charity Heifer International, said in a statement. “Making matters worse, large numbers of livestock have been swept away in the flash flooding.”
Landslides and flooding are common across South Asia during the summer monsoon season, and have become more dangerous thanks to widespread deforestation and poor urban planning that makes it harder for the land to absorb rainfall.
Bangladesh was bracing for worse flooding Monday, as weather forecasters predicted more rain. At least 18 major rivers were flowing at dangerously high levels, according to the state-run Flood Forecasting and Warning Center.
Twenty people have been killed over the last few days in the low-lying delta nation, while another 600,000 are marooned, the country’s disaster management minister said Monday.
Bangladeshi soldiers were working to evacuate those who were stranded on rooftops or in trees, after floodwaters inundated hundreds of northern villages. Around 368,000 people have taken refuge in more than 970 makeshift government shelters, said Bangladesh’s disaster management minister, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury.
In the northeastern Indian state of Assam, the floodwaters have damaged bridges, downed power lines and washed away thousands of homes. Officials said at least 2.5 million people had been affected, including some 200,000 now staying in 440 relief camps.
With railway lines inundated, the remote region was largely cut off from the rest of the country. Indian air force helicopters were dropping food and drinking water packets in the worst-hit districts, said Assam’s chief secretary, V. K. Pipersenia.
Large areas of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park were also under water, forcing many of the wildlife reserve’s endangered rhinos and deer to move to higher ground. Dozens of deer were killed by cars after they leapt onto a nearby highway to escape the floods.
Farther to the west, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, soldiers recovered the bodies of 46 people who had been traveling in two buses that were buried in a massive landslide of rocks and mud on Sunday.
___
George reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Julhas Alam in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Roshan Sedhai in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Ashwini Bhatia in Dharmsala, India, contributed to this report. |
Soccer club Nacional apologize for fans who mocked Chapecoense crash | SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian football club Chapecoense, whose squad was almost entirely wiped out in a 2016 plane crash, called on authorities to expel Nacional from the Libertadores Cup on Friday after their fans were caught making mocking airplane gestures.
An investigation was opened into Wednesday’s incidents by South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL.
CONMEBOL asked Nacional to present their defense by Feb 8, a day after the teams meet in the second leg of their qualifying match. Nacional won the first leg 1-0 in Brazil.
Chapecoense requested that “the judgment take place before Feb 7 or that the game be delayed until after the judgment”.
“Chapecoense is asking for Nacional to be excluded from the ... Libertadores,” the club said in a statement.
The Uruguayan club apologized on behalf of their fans in an open letter published on Thursday and a day later identified one of those responsible and stripped him of his club membership.
Soccer Football - Copa Libertadores - Brazil's Chapecoense v Uruguay's Nacional - Arena Conda stadium, Chapeco, Brazil - January 31, 2018. Guilherme of Chapecoense and Jorge Fucile of Nacional in action. REUTERS/Diego Vara
“Unfortunately, lots of sick minds channel their irrationality into sporting events,” Nacional said as they expressed their “profound shame”.
They did not name the banned member but instead referred to him by his membership number.
Chapecoense were traveling to the final of the Copa Sudamericana to play Colombian side Atletico Nacional in November, 2016 when the plane carrying their team crashed into a mountainside outside Medellin.
Seventy one of the 77 people on board, including all but three of the Chapecoense squad, died in the crash.
The small club from southern Brazil rebuilt last year and managed to reach the qualifying rounds of the Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League.
The Brazilians, however, lost the first leg at home on Wednesday to a goal from Santiago Romero.
The result gives the Uruguayans a slim advantage to take into the second leg in Montevideo next week. The winner will qualify for the third and final qualifying round ahead of the group stages. |
GFT Acquires Canadian IT Specialist V-NEO, Focused on the Insurance Industry | STUTTGART, Germany and QUEBEC CITY, July 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
As a result of the ac quisition , GFT will enter the C anadi an insurance mark e t, expand its m ark e t position in Nor th America a nd gain a ne w site in Belgium
V-NEO develops integr ated IT solutions a nd implement s Guidewire s ervices f o r leading insurance companies in C anada , Belgium and France
160 employees will strengthen GFT's industry expertise with a focus on digital applications within the property, casualty and life insurance sectors
GFT Technologies SE (GFT) today approved the full acquisition of all shares of V-NEO Inc. (V-NEO), based in Canada. The company is an experienced services provider of integrated IT solutions for the insurance industry. Its clients include numerous major insurers in Canada, Belgium and France. V-NEO has also acted as a service partner for the insurance platforms Guidewire and Oracle OIPA. Founded in 2011, the company employs 160 people at its three sites in Quebec, Toronto and Brussels. With the acquisition of V-NEO, GFT strengthens its expertise in the insurance sector, expands its market position in North America and gains a new location in Belgium.
(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640879/GFT_Logo.jpg )
(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/714329/V_NEO_Logo.jpg )
The company is expected to generate revenues of around USD 17.8 million in the current financial year (August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018). Earnings before taxes (EBT) is expected to reach approximately USD 3.2 million. The purchase price will be paid in cash and the two parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The full transfer of shares is scheduled for the end of July 2018. As a result of the first-time consolidation in August 2018, GFT expects additional revenues of around USD 8 million for this financial year. Due to the acquisition-related expenses, V-NEO will not make a significant contribution to GFT earnings in 2018. Further details will be disclosed in the Half-year Financial Report published on August 9, 2018.
At the contract signing, Marika Lulay, CEO of GFT Technologies SE, stressed that: "The acquisition underpins our international growth strategy and medium-term forecast for 2022. The technological know-how and the client base of V-NEO are a perfect fit for GFT - as are its highly skilled on-site client consultants in North America and Europe, as well as the nearshore development teams in Canada."
Reinforcement with regard to property, casualty and life insurance
The insurance industry is facing enormous challenges in the midst of the digital transformation process. According to Gartner, only a few insurers worldwide have initiated their digital transformation so far; and such changes can take up to ten years to achieve. V-NEO has in-depth expertise - especially regarding digital solutions for property, casualty and life insurance. This includes both strategic consulting as well as all steps from initial design to the implementation of solutions. The company boasts a high customer loyalty rate with national and international clients, driven by its bespoke architecture enterprise solutions and projects for process optimization and digital transformation. With this acquisition, GFT is able to complement its current services portfolio for property and casualty insurance with expanded and new solutions for the life insurance sector. V-NEO has already received numerous innovation awards for its agile integration of Guidewire services. As one of the largest independent North American services providers for the Guidewire insurance platform, the company currently generates around two-thirds of its revenue with this offering. V-NEO also works on a major Canadian life insurance project with OIPA Oracle platform. These services will now be combined with GFT's existing insurance services in order to expand its international client base.
Innovation in the DNA of both companies
V-NEO was the first North American firm to initiate an 'Insurance Innovation and Performance Center', which is specifically designed for innovation development and the training of employees in the insurance sector. The center puts into practice the development, piloting and market roll-out of new insurance solutions involving all aspects of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Combined with the existing global Digital Innovation Labs of GFT, the innovation management within GFT will be enhanced and taken to the next level.
Diversification of client portfolio
Alain Lamothe, CEO of V-NEO stated that: "With our deep insurance know-how and our technological skills, we are not just a perfect fit for each other, but will also help diversify GFT's customer portfolio with our long-lasting client relationships. The international GFT presence enables us to recognize global industry trends at an early stage, tapping into the market potential together, both with our clients and our partners."
Lulay added: "The acquisition of V-NEO is a decisive step towards positioning GFT as a leading IT partner for the digital transformation of the insurance industry, as it is already for the banking sector."
https://www.gft.com/int/en/index/company/newsroom/press-releases/2018/gft-acquires-canadian-it-specialist-v-neo-focused-on-the-insurance-industry/
Technology Holdings advised V-NEO on the transaction
SOURCE GFT Financial Ltd |
BRIEF-Egyptian Exchange says transactions executed on 239.4 mln shares of Edita Food | UPDATE 3-Nestle takes food price rises in its stride
ZURICH, Aug 9 Nestle expects pressure from the rising price of ingredients for its products such as chocolate bars, coffee and soup to ease, helping it meet its target for increasing sales despite tough markets. |
Mammary stem cells challenge costly bovine disease | Mastitis is the most expensive disease in the dairy industry. Each clinical case can cost a dairy farmer more than $400 and damages both the cow's future output as well as her comfort.
Bovine mastitis is typically treated with antibiotics, but with the potential threat of antimicrobial resistance and the disease's long-term harm to the animal's teat, researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine are laying the foundation for alternative therapies derived from stem cells.
"Antibiotics can kill the bugs," said Gerlinde Van de Walle, the Harry M. Zweig Assistant Professor in Equine Health, "but they don't help with regeneration of the damaged tissue."
Bovine mastitis damages the cow's mammary gland tissue when bacteria cause inflammation. The bacteria can enter the cow's teat when it comes in contact with a contaminated milking machine, a hand or bedding materials. This damaged mammary tissue contributes to milk production losses, quality concerns and increased labor costs.
"Bovine mastitis is the most costly disease in the dairy industry," said Daryl Nydam, DVM, Ph.D., professor in population medicine and diagnostic sciences. "The second-most-costly is almost not worth mentioning in comparison."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 96.9 percent of dairy facilities use antibiotics to treat clinical mastitis cases. While effective against bacteria, antibiotics alone cannot restore the damaged mammary tissue. In their March 16 paper in Scientific Reports, Van de Walle and Nydam explore how the secretions of bovine mammary stem cells can encourage healing and regrowth of damaged tissue as well as rid the mammary gland of harmful bacteria.
"Even after the bug is removed with antibiotic treatment, the milk production will usually not go to its previous highest levels because of that damage to the tissues," said Van de Walle, lead author on the paper. "That's where this alternative therapy comes in."
Van de Walle and Nydam are the first to detail what bovine mammary stem cells secrete. Others have examined the secretome of stem cells from other species, but not bovine. "It's a brand new area of inquiry," said Nydam, and it's led to a host of discoveries.
Their report finds that the secreted factors of these stem cells carry multiple positive effects. They play a role in the formation of new blood vessels and promote the migration of cells, both of which are integral in healing tissue damaged by mastitis. Some secreted factors protect epithelial cells from damage caused by bacterial toxins, and others proved to be antimicrobial peptides that play a role in killing bacteria.
"Besides the tissue regeneration," Van de Walle said, "it could also help the antibiotics work better, since they produce some of those antibiotic properties."
The researchers also found that the secreted factors were more effective against toxins produced by gram-negative bacteria, which are generally more resistant to antibodies because of their thicker cell walls. The bacteria that cause bovine mastitis can be either gram-positive or gram-negative.
"FDA-approved intramammary antimicrobials are more effective against gram-positive bacteria," said Nydam. "So this would be a nice complement to that."
This paper is part of a concentrated effort for basic and applied science faculty to unite their research practices and address an important disease. Van de Walle's lab at the Baker Institute for Animal Health performs basic research on viral pathogenesis and stem cell biology, and Nydam is the director of Quality Milk Production Services, a program that addresses milk quality issues for producers, such as disease control and antibiotic use.
"Based on the positive effects of the bovine stem cell secretome we observed in the lab, we now have to take it to next level and test whether it also work in cows with mastitis," said Van de Walle.
### |
Chiefs rule out Dee Ford, Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif | Getty Images
The Chiefs have ruled out linebacker Dee Ford, center Mitch Morse and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif for Sunday’s game.
Ford hasn’t played since injuring his back in Week 3, while Morse has missed the past two games with a sprained foot. Duvernay-Tardif sprained his knee against Washington.
Quarterback Alex Smith (ankle), defensive lineman Bennie Logan (knee), left tackle Eric Fisher (back) and linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis (groin) all practiced in full again and will play against the Texans.
The Texans will play without offensive guard Kyle Fuller (hamstring), inside linebacker Ben Heeney (knee) and cornerback Kevin Johnson (knee). Houston added center Greg Mancz (knee) to the injury report Friday and list him as questionable. |
Just In: Buhari in closed-door meeting with APC governors in Aso Rock | - President Muhammadu Buhari met with governors of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC)
- The meeting which began at 8 pm would discuss issues including the forthcoming national convention
- Governors in attendance at the meeting include Nasir El-Rufai, Yahaya Bello , Simon Lalong, Jibrilla Bindow, Abdulaziz Yari, Rochas Okorocha and Abdulahi Ganduje
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, April 24, met behind closed door with governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) at the Presidential villa, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reliably gathered that the meeting would discuss national issues including the forthcoming APC’s national convention slated for May 14 in Abuja.
The meeting, which began at about 8pm, was held inside the conference hall of the office of wife of the president at the presidential villa Abuja.
Already the leadership of the party has written the Independent National Electoral Commission to intimate it of plans to hold congresses and convention across the country.
READ ALSO: How Dino Melaye escaped and how we rearrested him - Police
Those attending the meeting included Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha as well as the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.
APC state governors in attendance were; Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Simon Lalung of Plateau, Jubrila Bindow of Adamawa and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara.
Others were Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger, Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa.
NAIJ.com previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, April 9, in Abuja declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019. Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s senior special assistant on media and Publicity confirmed this development in a statement in Abuja.
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He said that the president made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
The presidential aide quoted President Buhari as saying that he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give the NEC, the honour of notifying them first.
Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) on NAIJ.com TV.
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Source: Naija.ng |
The Weinstein Company just canceled every non-disclosure agreement between Harvey Weinstein and women who accused him of sexual misconduct | caption Harvey Weinstein. source Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Spike
The Weinstein Company’s bankruptcy filing on Monday night prompted the cancellation of every non-disclosure agreement the embattled film mogul Harvey Weinstein initiated with women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
More than 70 women have leveled allegations against Weinstein, for varying degrees of harassment, assault and, in some cases, rape.
“No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet,” the company said in a statement.
The Weinstein Company canceled all non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) the embattled film mogul Harvey Weinstein initiated with women who accused him of sexual misconduct.
The film studio, which filed for bankruptcy on Monday night, said in a statement that it is taking “an important step toward justice for any victims who have been silenced by Harvey Weinstein,” citing the non-disclosure agreements the company said Weinstein used as a “secret weapon to silence his accusers.”
More than 70 women have accused Weinstein of varying degrees of sexual misconduct – including harassment, assault and, in some cases, rape. The scandal rocked the film and TV industry last fall.
“No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet. The Company thanks the courageous individuals who have already come forward. Your voices have inspired a movement for change across the country and around the world,” the company’s statement read.
The firm is facing several lawsuits from Weinstein’s accusers and the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who told USA Today in a statement on Monday night that the release of those NDA agreements “will finally enable voices that have far too long been muzzled to be heard.”
Actress Rose McGowan was one of the women who signed an agreement to keep quiet about her encounter with Weinstein, according to a New York Times report that detailed allegations against Weinstein from multiple women.
Weinstein was forced out of his company last year as the sexual misconduct allegations against him multiplied. The company unsuccessfully pursued a sale; the effort ended with Monday night’s bankruptcy filing.
The film studio secured an initial bid for its assets from an affiliate of the Dallas-based private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners. |
Opportunities for the global thermoplastic unidirectional tape market to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% by 2023 | According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the thermoplastic unidirectional tape market looks attractive with opportunities in the aerospace & defense, transportation, sporting goods, industrial, and other industries. The thermoplastic unidirectional tape market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2018 to 2023. The major growth driver for this market is increasing use of thermoplastic composites because it offers recyclability and processing benefits, such as ability to remold, shorter cycle time, and no emission of volatile matter.
In this market, aerospace & defense, transportation, sporting goods, and industrial are the major end use industries. Lucintel forecasts that the transportation will remain the largest end use industry by volume, and it will also witness the highest growth during the forecast period. Increasing demand for lightweight materials to achieve higher fuel efficiency and reusable and recyclable materials for environmental benefits are driving growth for this segment over the forecast period.
By reinforcement type, glass fiber based UD tape is expected to remain the largest segment, and carbon fiber is likely to witness the highest growth in the forecast period supported by increasing usage of lightweight materials in aircraft components.
By resin type, PEEK resin based UD tape is expected to remain the largest segment by value and to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to its growing use in the aerospace and defense industry.
North America is expected to remain the largest market by value and volume and to witness the highest growth over the forecast period because of rising penetration of thermoplastic unidirectional tape in major end use industries.
Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the industry, include the continuous innovation and development of new products and applications. Cytec Solvay Group, QIYI Technology, Polystrand (Polyone), TenCate, Toho Tenax, and Celanese are the major companies in the global thermoplastic unidirectional tape market.
Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed the global thermoplastic unidirectional tape market by end use industry, reinforcement type, resin type, and region, and has compiled a comprehensive research report entitled “Growth Opportunities in the Global Thermoplastic Unidirectional Tape Market 2018-2023: Trends, Forecast and Opportunity Analysis.” The Lucintel report serves as a spring board for growth strategy as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. The study includes a forecast of the global thermoplastic unidirectional tape market by end use industry, reinforcement type, resin type, and region as follows:
By End Use Industry [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ Million) from 2012 to 2023]:
• Aerospace & Defense
• Transportation
• Industrial
• Sporting Goods
• Others
By Reinforcement Type [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ Million) from 2012 to 2023]:
• Glass Fiber
• Carbon Fiber
• Other
By Resin Type [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ Million) from 2012 to 2023]:
• Polyether- Ether-Ketone (PEEK)
• Polyamide (PA)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
• Others
By Region [Volume (M lbs) and Value ($ Million) from 2012 to 2023]:
• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific & The Rest of the World
This 130-page research report will enable you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace. For a detailed table of contents, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel offerings include Advanced Materials Reports, Composite Materials Market Report, Opportunity Screening and Analysis, Capital Investment Feasibility and SWOT Analysis.
This report answers following 10 key questions:
Q. 1. How big are the opportunities for the global thermoplastic unidirectional tape market by end use industry (aerospace & defense, transportation, sporting goods, industrial, and others), by reinforcement type (glass fiber, carbon fiber, and others), by resin type (PEEK, PA, PP, PPS, and others), and region (North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World)?
Q. 2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q. 3. Which region will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.4. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the drivers and challenges of the market?
Q.5. What are the business risks and threats to the market?
Q.6 What are emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them?
Q.7 What are some changing demands of customers in the market?
Q.8. What are the new developments in the market and which companies are leading these developments?
Q.9. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are being taken by key companies for business growth?
Q.10 What are some of the competitive products and processes in this area and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share via material or product substitution?
Q. 11. What M&A activity has occurred in the last five years and what has its impact been on the industry? |
Edit desk: Keeping a balance | Everything happens for a reason.
It took me until the end of my sophomore year at Lehigh to fully understand what that quote meant to me. It took me just as long to embrace it.
When I started freshman year, I was incredibly excited and eager to learn more about myself. I was starting a brand new chapter of my life, getting a chance to meet new people and finally experience “the best four years of my life.”
After orientation and the first week of classes, I became friends with girls in my classes and my hall. But it never felt the same as being with friends from home. I felt as though I was alone while I watched my friends thriving at their colleges from their posts on social media.
When freshman year came to a close, I was overwhelmed. I knew my classes would be challenging, but I had no idea how many sleepless nights I would endure. The amount of stress I put on myself to do well in my classes was unbearable, not to mention the burden of trying to find my place at Lehigh. I was just going through the motions. I didn’t belong.
I was extremely scared to introduce myself to new people throughout the year. My fear of rejection took control. My true self would scare people away, I thought. Overthinking things became the norm.
Those fears affected everything else like a domino effect. My focus in class slowly faded away. I barely talked to my high school friends about how I was feeling and lied about the fun I was having at college.
In high school, I had my close group of friends to depend and lean on for support. At Lehigh, I struggled to find my place — it seemed like everyone else found theirs so quickly and I was trying to catch up.
But time passed. During finals week, one of my best friends from home was explaining a huge fight she had with her friends at school. She needed my guidance.
That moment gave me a whole new perspective on how I was approaching life at Lehigh. Rather than feeling sorry for myself and guilty for not fitting in, a new thought came to mind.
I couldn’t keep forcing myself to be friends with everyone.
I had to be realistic. Most importantly, I had to be myself. “Everything else will fall into place,” I thought. I just had to give it time.
I realized I have control over my own life. If something doesn’t go how I hoped it would, I shouldn’t be afraid to be proactive and make a decision on what to do.
When I came back in the spring, I was ready to realign my focus on what was best for me instead of worrying about what everyone else thought. I felt so alone when reality said otherwise.
As a junior, I’m much more thankful for my first-year experience than I thought I would be. Newfound confidence is the sole reason for the charismatic, happy and positive person I am today.
Nothing brings me greater joy than seeing someone I know and saying hello in the hopes that I made their day a little bit better.
I know the future has many new adventures in store for me. Juggling school work, friends, family and getting involved with the Lehigh community all take a great amount of patience to keep a balance between it all.
We live and learn through our mistakes. Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems — we’re always going to have our setbacks and failures. What’s important is that we keep living and learning, no matter what obstacles lie ahead.
We’re always going to have best and worst days.
Tomorrow is always a new opportunity.
Everything happens for a reason.
—
Kate Morrell, ’19, is an associate photo editor for The Brown and White. She can be reached at kbm219@lehigh.edu. |
The News-Star is your home for Friday night football | Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE Find out how to download The News-Star app for your phone.
Buy Photo OCS’s senior running back Skylor Wilhite (34) battles for extra yards, but Cedar Creek’s Tripp Marcus (5) slams the door on any potential extra Eagle yardage. (Photo: Jimmy Touchet/Special to The News-Star)Buy Photo
The News-Star is the place to go for Friday night high school football.
At thenewsstar.com, you can follow the night's scores along with analysis, photo galleries and videos.
Cory Diaz will be at the West Monroe-Ruston game. Adam Hunsucker will be at the Carroll-Sterlington game. |
Roads agency, blockchain regulatory framework approved by parliament | Four Bills, one establishing Infrastructure Malta and three establishing a regulatory framework for Malta’s up and coming blockchain sector were approved by Parliament on Wednesday evening.
A statement issued by the Transport ministry said the new agency will have the “responsibility of implementing the government’s mandate to make a great leap forward in the quality of Malta and Gozo’s road infrastructure”.
The agency, it said, would be tasked with building and maintaining the country’s main roads as well as thousands of other residential and rural roads in every locality, through an investment exceeding €700 million.
“The parliamentary approval of the law regarding Infrastructure Malta is a great step forward to strengthen the work and investment through which our country will have roads and other infrastructure of the highest quality in the years to come,” Transport minister Ian Borg was quoted saying.
The ministry said that in addition to arterial and secondary rounds, the agency would also be responsible for residential and rural raods that currently fall within the remit of local councils.
“In this way, Transport Malta can focus and strengthen its work as a regulator of our country’s transport systems, while local councils will be released from the weight of the responsibility and cost of road maintenance so they can have more resources for other work towards the benefit of their residents,” the ministry said.
It added that Infrastructure Malta would establish new technical and administrative procedures, as well as more rigorous standards in order for the investment being made by the government to be effectively implemented.
First blockchain regulatory framework of its kind
In addition to the roads agency, Parliament also approved laws the Malta Digital Innovation Authority Act, the Innovative Technological Arrangement and Services Act, and the Virtual Financial Asset Act.
The Digital Economy secretariat described the three laws as the first of their kind of the world, which would set up the regulatory regime for Distributed Ledger Technologies.
Before the approval of the regulatory framework, there were several companies which announced their decision to operate from Malta, investments that will eventually result in the creation of more common good and new jobs in Malta, the secretariat said.
The 3 Bills that will regulate DLT have been approved by Parliament and enacted into law. Malta , the first world jurisdiction to provide legal certainty to this space. #blockchainisland @JosephMuscat_JM — Silvio Schembri (@SilvioSchembri) July 4, 2018
“Through innovation, Malta is fast becoming a pioneer in economic innovation in order to strengthen its economy through the creation of a new economic niche. This is resulting in other bigger countries following the footsteps that Malta took in this field,” it added.
Parliamentary secretary for the Digital Economy Silvio Schembri described parliament’s approval as a step that would put investors’ minds at rest, given that companies now had the necessary tools to operate in a regulated environment.
“I am optimistic that further companies will choose Malta to operate from with a system that offers stability and that will eventually result in further economic growth”, said Schembri. |
Women’s British Open: Thieves take safe containing £20k | SALTIRE EDINBURGH A safe with £20k was stolen from the Women’s British Open
The safe was stolen from a Portakabin at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Fife, which was hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Thieves broke in to the Portakabin some time after 8.15pm on Saturday, August 5 – the penultimate day of the competition – and six o’clock the following morning, when the incident was discovered by staff. The raiders removed the safe, which contained the five-figure sum of cash in takings from the event.
The safe contained a significant sum of money Detective Inspector Graham Fenton
Police in Fife said they have worked closely with staff at the course to identify the crooks and have been pursuing “a number of lines of inquiry”. Detective Inspector Graham Fenton said: “The Portakabin was being used in connection with the Women’s British Open tournament and, as a -result, the safe contained a significant sum of money. “We are eager to hear from anyone who remembers seeing any suspicious activity around Kingsbarns Golf Course last weekend, or anyone who can assist with our ongoing investigation.
GETTY
GETTY The safe was taken from a Portakabin at Kingsbarns Golf Links
“In particular, we are interested in any information that can help us recover the safe.” The village of Kingsbarns, in an area known as the East Neuk of Fife, has been associated with golf for more than 200 years. The Kingsbarns Golfing Society was formed in 1793, with the first course – on land leased from the Cambo Estate – being in use until around 1850, and another in use from 1922 to 1939 when it was returned to farming as an aid to the war effort. |
Court to weigh sentence of lone woman on Ohio's Death Row | This undated photo provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows death row inmate Donna Roberts, convicted of complicity in the aggravated murder of her ex-husband Robert Fingerhut, shot to death Dec. 11, 2001, by her boyfriend Nathaniel Jackson in hopes of collecting insurance money. The Ohio Supreme Court is scheduled to hear another appeal Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, by Roberts, the state's only condemned female killer, of her death sentence.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Progress. |
BRIEF-Carsales.Com updates on dividend reinvestment plan | Western Digital expects ruling on injunction request by mid-July -source
TOKYO, June 15 Western Digital Corp expects a ruling on its request for a court injunction to stop the sale of Toshiba Corp's chip unit by mid-July, a source familiar with the situation said on Thursday. The California-based firm presented a revised offer for the chip unit that met Toshiba's requests on Wednesday but did not receive a positive response, a separate source said. |
Athlete Spotlight: Cameron Mayberry | While Mines football as a program has been just as successful as previous years, there is a new star on the field: Junior Cameron Mayberry. In Mayberry’s first career start on September 9th, he scored an impressive four touchdowns and rushed for 189 yards, helping the Orediggers in their 70-0 win against New Mexico Highlands University.
Although the Orediggers lost 38-36 to Colorado Mesa the next weekend, Mayberry rushed for a school-record 39 carries, beating out the previous record of 35 carries that has stood since 1975. Mayberry and the Orediggers came back with a vengeance on September 23rd against Western State, with the Orediggers winning 45-7, in part thanks to Mayberry’s three touchdowns and 155 rushing yards.
Grade: Junior/ Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown: Stillwater, Oklahoma
Major: Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
What made you choose Mines?
Mayberry’s self-stated goal in high school was to “simply to play football at the next level”. He figured that “Mines has a great football program and academics, so why not?”
What are some challenges of being a student athlete at Mines?
Mayberry shared that many of the challenges are what most people would expect: “Time management. Waking up and paying attention all day…then running around hitting people for a couple of hours in the afternoon.” Despite Mayberry humorously downplaying the intensity of being a starting varsity athlete, there is no doubt that early morning workouts and afternoon practices on top of a Mines workload can be draining. “It’s all good fun though,” explained Mayberry, “it builds character.”
What do you see your role on the team as?
“I see my role on the team quite objectively: running the ball as hard as I can,” said Mayberry.
Favorite part about football?
“The greatest part about playing football at Mines” for Mayberry, despite his accolades and on-field success, is “enjoying the character and ambition of the players around [him]”.
Role Models?
Mayberry’s role models include “Lance Armstrong, Neo [from Matrix], and Frodo [from Lord of the Rings].”
Hobbies, besides athletics?
In the little free time he has, Mayberry enjoys playing League of Legends, Overwatch, and Tetris. He also enjoys mountain biking and Frisbee golfing, among many other things. |
India passes HIV/AIDS anti-discrimination law but stigma endures | Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer View text version of this page Help using this website - Accessibility statement Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox. Join today and you can easily save your favourite articles, join in the conversation and comment, plus select which news your want direct to your inbox.
Start the conversation, or Read more at The Age. |
Father charged in case of severely malnourished Utah boy | SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The father of a 12-year-old Utah boy who was found severely malnourished in a feces-strewn bathroom was charged with child abuse on Tuesday, a month after the child's mother was charged with locking him in the room for about a year.
The abuse was discovered after the 40-year-old man brought the boy to a hospital. But prosecutors say he recklessly endangered his son by failing to act before the child's weight dropped to just 30 pounds and delayed getting him medical care for hours after discovering him.
The child spent the last two Christmases in the bathroom, listening to family members open presents, prosecutor Angie Reddish-Day said.
The man lived at the house in the small southeastern Utah city of Toquerville while the boy was kept in the bathroom, though it's not clear how often he was there, she said.
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The mother also worked to keep people away who asked about the boy, including his father, Redding-Day said.
The Associated Press is not naming either parent to avoid identifying the child.
The father is charged with one third-degree felony count. The mother is facing a more serious child abuse charge, and prosecutors say additional charges are expected against her.
The boy was found in the bathroom with one blanket, a few empty cans of beans and a camera that may have been used to capture what was going on in the room that was kept dark most of the time, police said.
The boy has been recovering in the weeks since he was found and is now in foster care, along with two other children who were in the home. He lost some mobility in his limbs from being confined in the small space for such a long time and has trouble running and walking, Reddish-Day said.
Court records show the man filed for divorce about three weeks after his wife was arrested.
The man's divorce attorney didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. No lawyer was listed in the criminal case against him.
The mother's lawyer, Edward Flint, said she had a "total mental breakdown" that left her overwhelmed and unable to care for the boy, who has special needs. He said the father knew more about the situation than the charges imply.
She is being held on $20,000 cash-only bail, though Flint has pushed to lower that amount to help build her defense. |
N. Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Half-Brother Is Dead. But Why? | It's the stuff of spy novels. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's older half-brother Kim Jong Nam died mysteriously at the Kuala Lumpur airport, and both South Korean and Malaysian media report it was likely some sort of poison attack.
Several questions surround his suspicious death, but perhaps the biggest is: Who would want Kim Jong Nam dead?
The eldest Kim brother has led a quiet existence outside North Korea for decades, except for making headlines when he tried to enter Japan in 2001 on a fake passport. He later said he was trying to go to Tokyo Disneyland.
That Kim has remained out of the limelight is rather remarkable given he's the son of Kim Jong Il, North Korea's notorious former dictator.
"You would live anonymously too if people were gunning for you," says Michael Madden, a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies who runs the site North Korean Leadership Watch.
"Kim Jong Nam has lived a very leisurely life, primarily in a condo that the Kim family owns in Macau," Madden says. Kim is widely known for his love of gambling and clubs. Madden also says Kim Jong Nam manages the family's personal fortune overseas, which includes homes in Singapore, Beijing and Paris.
Kim's fate took a turn Monday morning, while he was in transit at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Something caused Kim's sudden death.
Malaysian media are showing closed-circuit camera images in which two women cover a traveler's face with cloth. Police say emergency responders rushed the man, whose travel documents identified him as "Kim Chol," to the hospital, but he died en route.
"It probably is the strangest story that I have encountered about North Korean elites and the Kim family and Kim family politics," Madden says.
In South Korea Tuesday, Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee confirmed the identity of the dead traveler.
"The government is certain that the murdered individual is Kim Jong Nam. We have not confirmed the exact cause of death," Jeong said.
Kim could have died of natural causes, given his sedentary lifestyle and the family's reported issues with gout and high blood pressure. But if he was killed, theories run the gamut as to why.
Some believe Kim was punished for skimming from the family fortune he handled, or that he was the scapegoat in a power play by elites wanting to get back into leader Kim Jong Un's good graces. But they're all just guesses, says Madden.
"Nobody knows, and I don't think we will know the full story about the death of Kim Jong Nam for many years," he says.
As with so much about North Korea, even a man's demise is dressed in mystery.
Haeryun Kang contributed to this post from Seoul. Chan Kok Leong contributed to this post from Kuala Lumpur. |
Charles Jenkins, husband of Japanese ex-abductee to North Korea Hitomi Soga, dies at 77 | Charles Jenkins, husband of former Japanese abductee to North Korea Hitomi Soga, died Monday due to an unknown cause, sources said Tuesday. He was 77.
A former U.S. Army sergeant, Jenkins deserted to North Korea in 1965 and married Soga there in 1980. He came to Japan with the couple’s two North Korean-born daughters after being reunited in Jakarta with Soga in July 2004. Soga had earlier returned to Japan with a group of other abductees.
The couple began living in Sado, a Sea of Japan island city in Niigata Prefecture, from December 2004 with the two daughters, Mika and Brinda.
In an interview with Kyodo News in 2012, Jenkins said he was happy living with his family on Sado Island, from where his wife hails, and appreciated the freedom Japan offers. |
Book reviews: Strange creatures, thrilling fantasy and outdoor fun | The sunshine has brought a new selection of glittering and exciting books to keep youngsters out of mischief this summer.
The sunshine has brought a new selection of glittering and exciting books to keep youngsters out of mischief this summer.
Go behind the scenes of the epic Star Wars films, enjoy outdoor fun and games with Winnie-the-Pooh, enter a world where the lines of reality are blurred by magic, and share some detective work with an enchanting Mistress of Disguise.
Age 8 plus:
The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures & Aliens by Mark Salisbury
When the original Star Wars first appeared on the silver screen in 1977 it was unlike anything filmgoers had seen before…
With a truly epic story, unforgettable and dramatic music, and special effects that were out-of-this world, it was a groundbreaking and thrilling experience for stunned audiences across the world.
Now the secrets of the magic that brought the Star Wars saga to life is revealed in this equally epic and interactive book which goes behind the scenes of the biggest movie franchise of all time to see how favourite characters like Chewbacca, Yoda and Jabba and more were created from concept to screen.
The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures & Aliens is an exciting, interactive reading adventure that tells the fascinating inside story of all ten Star Wars films, including the most recent, Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The super collectible book features 20 special interactive elements, including six-page mini booklets, accordion folds and intriguing flaps, all revealing the amazing production techniques behind the films. Marvel at concept sketches, moulds, digital imagery and discover the human forms lurking behind the costumes.
See the creatures and aliens from all ten Star Wars films, from A New Hope to Solo: A Star Wars Story, and watch how detailed sketches became lifelike creatures that breathe, ooze and roar.
Through diagrams and photographs, fans learn about the different kinds of effects, including puppetry and motion capture, which made alien beings seems as real as anything on Earth. And through the words of the creative, hardworking and inspirational production teams, learn how they made the impossible seem possible time and time again.
With interviews, an explanatory text, captions and amazing Force Facts, there could be no better gift book for young and old fans of Jedis, padawans, Ewok hunters, legendary Wookiees, secretive Shistavanens and aliens of any other Star Wars galaxy!
(Abrams Books for Young Readers, hardback, £21.99)
Age 13 plus:
My Box-Shaped Heart by Rachael Lucas
Two young people wading through tough domestic issues find first love in the most unexpected of places in a beautiful and tender novel from Southport author Rachael Lucas.
Lucas, who wrote the highly successful YA novel The State of Grace, has taken up her pen again for this moving and powerfully perceptive exploration of what it means to be a teenager living in a troubled home.
She tackles tough and difficult subjects like domestic abuse and mental health issues with the lightest of touches as we dive in at the deep end with Holly and Ed whose lives collide in a way they least expect when they both seek refuge from home at the local swimming baths.
Holly and Ed are the polar opposite of each other but what they don’t yet realise is that their lives have more in common than they had ever imagined.
Holly’s mum is a hoarder, and Holly is fed up with being picked on at school for being weird, having the wrong clothes and generally sticking out. All she wants is to be invisible. That’s why Holly loves swimming, because in the water everyone is the same.
Ed goes to the swimming pool because everything else in his life has changed. In his old life he had money, he was on the swim team, he knew who he was and he knew what he wanted. But in his old life, his dad hit his mum and now they live in a safe house for women who are victims of domestic violence.
Holly is swimming in one direction and Ed is swimming in the other. As their worlds collide, a tender love blossoms and they find a window into each other’s lives. And, just as importantly, they learn how to meet in the middle.
Romantic, emotional and with an exquisite young love at its centre, My Box-Shaped Heart is a tale of our times told with understanding, warmth and a life-affirming optimism that makes it a joy to read.
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 14 plus:
The Family Tree by Mal Peet and Emma Shoard
When much-loved, award-winning writer Mal Peet died in 2015, he left behind a string of young adult fiction books, including Keeper, Tamar, and Exposure.
His novels were nominated for and won several awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Branford Boase Award and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. In 2017, his final novel Beck was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
The Family Tree, his stunning, powerful and unforgettable novella exploring families, fathers and the fall-out from a marriage break-up, has been republished in a beautiful new edition illustrated in rising star Emma Shoard’s stunning painterly style.
When a man returns to his childhood home and visits the derelict tree house in which his father once chose to live, he recalls the past unravelling of his family, the unspoken strangeness of their lives, and the impact on his own adult life.
Published by Barrington Stoke in a format ideal for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers, this haunting, moving tale is written in incisive but elegant prose and highlights Peet’s gift for acutely observant storytelling.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)
Age 9 plus:
The Hippo at the End of the Hall by Helen Cooper
Get ready for witches, magical transformations, dreams, stuffed animals, fantasy and adventure in this stunning story from Cumbria born and raised Helen Cooper.
Filled with her own exquisite pencil drawings, The Hippo at the End of the Hall is Cooper’s debut novel. She is already the twice award-winning CLIP Kate Greenaway author and illustrator for two beautiful picture books, The Baby Who Wouldn’t Go To Bed and Pumpkin Soup.
The invitation was delivered by bees. It wasn’t addressed to anyone at all, but 11-year-old Ben knew it was for him. It would lead him to an old, shambolic museum, full of strange and bewitching creatures, a peculiar world of hidden mysteries and curious family secrets… and some really dangerous magic.
But most importantly, Ben discovers a connection to his lost explorer father and the family he never knew he had. And now he has something to fight for… the survival of the Gee museum, and the promise of finding out who he really is.
This is a true classic in the making, a gorgeously illustrated invitation into a charming – and exhilarating – world where the lines of reality are blurred by magic.
An enchanting and thrilling fantasy for all young adventure lovers!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £6.99)
Age 9 plus:
Dork Diaries: Crush Catastrophe by Rachel Renée Russell
Nikki Maxwell, Queen of the Dorks, is back in the twelfth instalment of the blockbuster bestselling Dork Diaries series.
Nikki and her BFFs Zoey and Chloe are the giggling, gossiping stars of Rachel Renée Russell’s much-loved Dork Diaries series which chronicles the daily dramas of the 14-year-old’s life in (and outside!) school.
Russell, a US lawyer who prefers writing children’s books to legal briefs, also illustrates the fabulous Dork Diaries, filling Nikki’s entertaining meanderings with drawings, doodles and comic strips.
This perfectly pitched series was inspired by Russell’s own middle school experiences as well as those of her two daughters, Erin and Nikki. Elder daughter Erin helps with writing and Nikki helps with the illustrations.
In Nikki Maxwell’s newest diary, it’s the countdown to the end of the school year and Nikki is juggling some big questions about how she will spend her summer. She is also facing an unexpected crush catastrophe… there’s a new kid interested in Nikki but the last thing she wants to do is accidentally hurt Brandon. It all comes down to the very big decision Nikki has to make, and drama like she has never faced before!
Friendship, fun and boyfriend gossip… what more could a teenage girl want?
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £6.99)
Age 8 plus:
Just Jack by Kate Scott
Fitting in at a new school isn’t easy… but when you have moved house five times in a few years, it’s even harder.
Since her popular and fun-filled Spies in Disguise children’s series, author and poet Kate Scott has set about writing winsome novels starring children facing problems ‘fitting in.’ And after the success of Giant, a refreshingly funny and honest story about a small boy in a family of very tall people, we meet Jack who tries hard to be what he isn’t.
‘Moving is what Mum and I do.’ Jack knows lots about starting a new school. Since Dad left, he and his mum have moved house five times. He also knows all about fitting in. The trick is to act exactly like everyone else and make sure no one ever notices him.
Jack is two people… the boy you see when he is outside his house, and the person he is when he is inside the house with his mum.
But it’s hard work constantly trying to be something he isn’t and Jack doesn’t have any good friends. That is, until Tyler comes along. Tyler is funny and different. He loves inventions and he might be the key to getting Jack to realise that although he is brilliant at pretending to be other people, the very best thing he can be is… just Jack.
There is such a genuine empathy and warmth in Scott’s writing that it is difficult not to fall for the wonderfully likeable and identifiable Jack whose defensive mechanisms hide a young boy hopelessly adrift after his parents split up.
Scott tackles difficult but important themes like divorce, self-identity, loneliness and struggling to fit in with gentleness, understanding and her trademark wry humour which transforms a sensitive story into a fun and entertaining tale of family and friendship.
With illustrations by Alex Gunn to bring Jack and Tyler’s adventures to life, this is a clever and tenderly told tale of growing up… and wising up.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £5.99)
Age 8 plus:
Ade’s Amazing Ade-ventures: Battle of the Cyborg Cat by Ade Adepitan
Wheelchair basketball star, Paralympian and popular broadcaster Ade Adepitan turns author for this sparkling new adventure series which speaks volumes to a new generation of children.
Adepitan contracted polio as a child and lost the use of his left leg. After arriving in London from Nigeria in the Eighties when he was a young boy, he initially he found his new environment daunting and encountered some hurtful and cruel prejudice.
But despite being handicapped by an iron leg caliper, he quickly adapted and made friends, and together they formed the Parsons Road Gang. With friendship firmly at the heart of this all-action series, Ade learns that you can overcome all the obstacles thrown at you when you have good friends.
In this charming new series, he introduces us to the early years of his life in England and the warmth and solace he found in sharing, caring and playing with his gang of loyal friends.
Ade is the new kid on Parsons Road. He knows he should make an effort and make some friends but it’s not easy when you look different to everyone else and wear a leg caliper. It’s only when Ade sees off some bullies that Dexter, Brian and Shed realise who Ade really is… their new friend, part cyborg (‘a human with mechanical enhancements that give them super strength’), part footballing genius and all hero. Over the summer, the boys’ days are filled with adventure and laughter but the first day of school is not far away and things are about to change forever.
Filled with the lively black and white illustrations of David M.Buisán and with a quirky Eighties retro backdrop, this moving new series has heartwarming messages about the importance of friendship, acceptance and inclusion, and will delight all adventure-loving youngsters.
(Studio Press, paperback, £5.99)
Age 7 plus:
Bella’s Den by Berlie Doherty
Escape into an adventure set in the great outdoors in this beautiful, dyslexia-friendly book from award-winning author Berlie Doherty.
Bella has a secret, one that she is very good at keeping. That secret is a den hidden on a little muddy hill, a wild place amid the trees and nestled beside some foxes with a den of their own. But when the secret is betrayed, the foxes’ lives are put in danger… and so is a special friendship.
Beautifully illustrated by Ellie Snowdon and written by Doherty, an English novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter, Bella’s Den is another super readable book from Barrington Stoke and ideal for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers.
Printed on heavy paper in two colours – black for the text and yellow Pantone® for the page background – this combination reduces the contrast between text and paper, and hides the ‘ghost’ of the words printed on the other side of the page. The book also uses a unique typeface that is more legible to dyslexics.
A touching and inspirational story of trust, loss and friendship, Bella’s Den is perfect for young explorers and any child who longs to find adventure in the great outdoors.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £5.99)
Age 6 plus:
Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell
The ever-inventive author and illustrator Chris Riddell makes a welcome return with his quirky, inquisitive heroine Miss Ottoline Brown.
Ottoline, a Mistress of Disguise with a fine line in detective work, fun and dark humour, is making a comeback and her adventures just get better and better.
Ottoline lives in a stylish apartment in Big City with her partner in crime, Mr Munroe, a small, hairy creature that came from a bog in Norway. Together they look after the Brown family’s eclectic collection of oddments, and dabble in a spot of detective work. In fact, no puzzle or mystery is ever too tricky for the two of them to solve.
In Ottoline and the Purple Fox, the fourth book in this magical series, the intrepid sleuths meet an enigmatic and dashing purple fox who offers to take them on a night-time urban safari across Big City. The fox shows them all the hidden animals of the city and Ottoline is soon busy making notes on them in her field notebook. Mr Munroe, meanwhile, is making notes too… on the anonymous love poems he finds stuck to lamp-posts on their journey. Who is the secretive, melancholy poet, and how can Mr Munroe and Ottoline help mend his broken heart?
Full of Riddell’s richly detailed and intricate black and white illustrations, this heartwarming, comical story is a seductive blend of friendship, fun and imagination, and includes instructions on how to make a fancy-dress fortune teller out of paper.
A brilliantly imaginative and exciting book from start to finish!
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Winnie-the-Pooh’s 50 things to do before you’re 5¾ by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard
Have you ever made mud pies, built a secret den, or built a nest for a bird family?
If you haven’t, you’re missing out on lots of fun! So why not join Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Eeyore and their friends as they come up with 50 inspirational outdoor activities which they think everyone should enjoy before their sixth birthday.
Based on the books by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, this exciting activity book is ideal for holiday time and the perfect way to encourage children to get into the great outdoors and start exploring.
The easy-to-use guide is packed with ideas, including arts and crafts, intriguing games and the possibility of creating your own adventures. Build your own den, make a worm farm, create a forest in a bottle and woodland crafts, host your own teddy bears’ picnic, and who could resist playing the classic game of Poohsticks?
There are helpful hints and spaces for your records and photographs, and activities range from the quick and simple to slightly more challenging adventures to share with adults and make the most of time spent together.
Brimming with Milne’s wit and warmth, and illustrated throughout with Shepard’s timeless drawings, Winnie-the-Pooh’s 50 things to do before you’re 5¾ offers the key messages from the original stories but with the added bonus of creativity, learning and friendship.
Whether you want to spot animal babies, make your own tree monster or simply gaze up at the stars, this inventive activity book is a breath of fresh air for all little outdoor adventurers.
(Egmont Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Age 3 plus:
Creature Features by Natasha Durley
Animals come in all shapes and sizes… big and small, fast and slow, scaly and furry, stripy and spotty.
And here’s a bright and beautiful interactive board book to teach little ones the wonder of diversity in the animal world. Creature Features is packed with a menagerie of weird and wonderful creatures, all grouped by their unusual features, from bright beaks to long tongues and fantastic fur.
Animals are mostly grouped into big families, like birds which have feathers, and fish which swim in the water. But there are other ways of grouping them too… like big noses and giant antlers! Turn the pages of this gorgeously illustrated book to discover some of the surprising features linking animals from all round the world.
Vibrantly illustrated with both colour and texture by new talent Natasha Durley, this really is an animal book with a difference. From enormous ears to humongous horns, and from elephants to earwigs, this eclectic collection of animals celebrates the diversity of the animal kingdom. And with something to look for on every page, it’s guaranteed to inspire and fascinate young animal lovers.
Discover how having big eyes is helpful for seeing in the dark, how long noses and snouts are great for sniffing out smells, how big ears give animals sharp hearing, how tails help animals to balance, and long bendy necks are ideal for reaching food in high trees or on low ground.
Creature Features is a glorious riot of colour, creatures and amazing facts, all presented in a lively and eye-catching format that will have youngsters turning the pages in wonder and delight.
(Big Picture Press, board book, £10.99)
Age 2 plus:
Gary’s Banana Drama by Jane Massey
Meet a big, hungry gorilla going completely bananas… for some bananas!
Author and illustrator Jane Massey moves into her best madcap mode for this comical and colourful picture book starring Gary the gorilla who sees bananas but finds he can’t eat any of them!
Gary is desperate for a banana and it’s driving him to a delightfully dizzy distraction. Could that be one singing in the tree? No, it’s just a bird’s beak. Is that a banana whizzing through the air? Ouch, no, it’s a boomerang from Billy’s show! Where are the real bananas? Alone and hungry, Gary is about to give up until… wait! Could it be… the biggest banana in the world?
Featuring banana dogs, banana moustaches, banana space rockets and an adorable, banana-mad gorilla, Massey’s vibrant, quirky and whimsical picture book will make children hoot with laughter and fall in love with the gormless Gary.
Massey uses an eye-catching palette of bright colours and a gallery of warm and witty illustrations as Gary and his mind-bending bananas steal the show. And there’s a fruity twist in the tail that will have little ones chuckling and chomping on their own bananas!
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £6.99) |
‘Your kids aren’t going over there’: The View women slam Trump for week-long warmongering | Whoopi Goldberg on 'The View' (Screen cap).
Most of the women of “The View” insisted that sensible diplomacy was the way to solve the North Korea problem and threats of a nuclear war. But co-host Jedediah Bila said that the U.S. has already attempted such a strategy and it clearly hasn’t worked.
“We haven’t had any issues but we’ve also had North Korea building up missiles — long-range missiles — and soon they will be able to attach a nuclear warhead to that, and we have tried it with Iran, and you wind up saying, ‘You can’t have weapons,'” Bila said Monday.
Co-host Joy Behar noted that we have a deal with Iran but Bila claimed Iran hides their weapons from us.
“Diplomacy is great and fantastic when you are not dealing with tyrants and people who seek to undermine our allies,” Bila continued. “The alternative is to be tough and say, ‘Look, if you are going to showcase a parade the day before mike Pence goes to South Korea, our ally, and you are going to showcase massive weapons that you hope and intend to aim at us, there will be consequences.'”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg noted that the display of weapons trotting out in the streets is a normal weekly event in North Korea.
Dr. Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst on Korea, would agree. In a discussion Friday with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Dr. Terry explained that this is nothing more than theater and a kind of display.
Behar warned this kind of saber rattling between two madmen — Trump and Kim Jong Un — could likely end in a nuclear holocaust.
“The idea that we tweak your nose when we’re in the middle of two wars, we’re trying to figure out what to do with Assad, because quite frankly, you know, everybody is all happy about the fact that we bombed over there,” Goldberg said. “And this new guy says, ‘Oh, yeah. I have changed my mind on how I feel on this.’ Really? What does that do for all the people who have been trying to tell you why they were leaving their country? Have you changed your mind on that? That’s the stuff I want to know,” she continued talking about the Syrian refugees. “Refugees and just what the real world offers because tweaking people’s nose, your kids aren’t going over there.”
Bila wanted to make it very clear that she does not support boots on the ground or democracy building or nation building in the countries but she does support dropping bombs on terrorist targets.
Co-host Sunny Hostin was concerned because she doesn’t know what, if any, is the long-term plan for Syria and what happens after dropping the bombs.
Behar said she was alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was petrified the world would get blown up in a nuclear war. She explained that it bothers her that she knows as much as the president of the United States when it comes to Korea.
But many of the women decided that they were grateful Trump was leaving these decisions up to someone else.
Watch the full video below:
'Your kids aren't going over there': 'The View… by sarahburris |
List: Senior menu for Pahrump, Amargosa Valley and Beatty | Special to Pahrump Valley Times A look inside the Pahrump Senior Center as shown in a 2017 photo. The senior center has released its menu for the coming week.
Pahrump Senior Center
The menu (subject to change) and activities for the week of Feb. 5 – Feb. 9. Two percent milk and juice available daily:
Monday – Beef stew, noodles, garden salad, biscuit, fruit, soup;
Tuesday — Bacon wrapped peppers, fried beans, corn, fruit, soup;
Wednesday – Chicken tacos, Spanish rice, Mexican corn, yogurt with fruit, soup;
Thursday — Country fried steak, mashed potatoes, carrots, salad, fruit cup, soup;
Friday – Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, spinach, salad, whole wheat bread, fruit cup, soup.
ACTIVITIES
Monday — Exercise class, 9:30 a.m.; beading class, 12:30 p.m.; poker, 12:30 p.m.;
Tuesday — Exercise class, 9:30 a.m.; haircuts, 1-3 p.m.;
Wednesday — Crafty Ladies, 12:30 p.m.;
Thursday — Men’s Breakfast meeting, 7:30 a.m.; exercise class, 9:30 a.m.; Rippits (crocheting and knitting), 10 a.m.; haircuts, 1 p.m.;
Friday — TOPS meeting, 7 a.m.; exercise class, 9:30 a.m.
Beatty Senior Center
The menu (subject to change) for the week of Feb. 5 – Feb. 9:
One percent milk available. Meals are served at the Beatty Senior Center from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Monday – Cheese enchilada, black beans, zucchini squash, pears, Tres Leche cake;
Tuesday – Baked stuffed pork chop, baked yam, seasoned lima beans and peas, green salad, fruit cocktail;
Wednesday – Sloppy joe, peas and carrots, celery sticks, apple crisp;
Thursday – Chicken parmesan with pasta, steamed broccoli, peaches, whole wheat garlic bread;
Friday – Multi-grain pancakes with mixed berries, scrambled eggs with veggies, orange juice.
Amargosa Valley Senior Center
The menu (subject to change) for the week of Feb. 5 – Feb. 9:
One percent milk available daily. Meals are served at the Amargosa Valley Senior Center from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Breakfast served from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Monday – Pork chop, yams, Brussel sprouts, layered salad, tapioca pudding;
Tuesday — Nacho casserole, Spanish rice, frijoles charros, orange spinach salad, plums or other fresh fruit, pineapple juice;
Wednesday — Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, lettuce and tomato salad, mixed fruit;
Thursday — Spinach lasagna, steamed cauliflower, garden salad, honey dressing, garlic bread, cherry-apricot granola cup, orange juice;
Friday — Breakfast burrito, yogurt, fresh orange and banana, oatmeal. |
Michael Kors appoints Thomas Edwards as its new CFO | Michael Kors Holdings has named Thomas J. Edwards, Jr. as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer effective immediately.
“We are excited to have Tom join our organization and oversee responsibilities for global finance, operations and IT,” said John D. Idol, Michael Kors Chairman and CEO in a statement, adding, “Tom is a veteran in the global consumer goods industry and a proven financial and operational leader. He will be instrumental to us as we continue to execute on our key growth and operational initiatives as well as drive value for our shareholders.”
The company said, Edwards has extensive experience as a financial and operational leader. He joins the company from Brinker International, a casual dining restaurant company, where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer since March 2015. Prior to that, he held numerous positions within finance at Wyndham Worldwide from 2007 to 2015, including having served as executive vice president and CFO of the Wyndham Hotel Group from March 2013 to March 2015.
He has also held a number of financial and operational leadership positions in the consumer goods industry, including as vice president, consumer innovation and marketing services at Kraft Foods and vice president, finance at Nabisco Food Service Company.
Edwards is succeeding Joseph B. Parsons, who is retiring after 13 years with the company. Parsons will remain with the company through August 1, 2017 in his current role.
Picture:Michael Kors website |
Nerve Agent Novichok Used In Wiltshire Incident | Police in the UK have confirmed the substance which left two people critically ill in Wilsthire is the same nerve agent used to poison ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
The pair are both British nationals - and were found unconscious in Amesbury, which is just a few miles from where the Salisbury attack happened.
The Metropolitan Police say there was "nothing in their background" to suggest they were targeted.
The victims have been named locally as Charlie Rowley (45) and Dawn Sturgess (44).
Statement from ACSO Neil Basu re: incident in Amesbury https://t.co/DtXz4IOjCM pic.twitter.com/8I8t6sMPd6 — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) July 4, 2018
Sam Hobson, a friend of the pair, said: "I came around Charlie's house in the morning and there was loads of ambulances outside and his girlfriend was getting taken away and he said she was complaining of a headache in the morning.
"She went into the bathroom to have a bath and he heard a thump and she was in there having a fit, foam coming out of her mouth."
He added: "He [Mr Rowley] was sweating loads dribbling and you couldn't speak to him. He was making funny noises and he was rocking backwards and forwards. There was no response for me, he didn't even know I was there, he was in another world - he was hallucinating."
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu has been updating reporters.
"The Counter Terrorism Policing Network is now leading the investigation into this incident.
"This evening I have received test results from Porton Down which show that the two people have been exposed to the nerve agent, Novichok". |
‘Betrayed’ Canadians could launch unprecedented protests over pipeline | The federal Liberal government is spending $4.5 billion to buy Trans Mountain and all of Kinder Morgan Canada’s core assets.
A protester holds a photo of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a representation of the globe covered in oil during a protest against the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday May 29, 2018. The federal Liberal government is spending $4.5 billion to buy Trans Mountain and all of Kinder Morgan Canada’s core assets, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Tuesday as he unveiled the government’s long-awaited, big-budget strategy to save the plan to expand the oilsands pipeline. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Outrage over the federal government’s announcement about buying the Trans Mountain pipeline to ensure it gets built could fuel unprecedented protests, says a prominent environmentalist who was at the forefront of British Columbia’s so-called War in the Woods in the 1990s.
Tzeporah Berman said the fight against the pipeline expansion is even bigger than those over logging in Clayoquot Sound.
Canadians are angry the government is shelling out $4.5 billion to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline rather than investing in clean energy after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate-change promises during the 2015 election and his later commitment to the Paris climate accord, she said.
“My experience is that people are motivated by betrayal, they’re motivated by a lack of fairness, they’re motivated by a sense of shared common purpose and outrage. In this case we have all of that,” said Berman, who was cleared of aiding and abetting protesters at the Clayoquot blockade and is now an adjunct professor of environmental studies at York University in Toronto.
Berman said the Liberal government “made a very big mistake” by backing Kinder Morgan’s project and alienating voters to create “a perfect storm” that would prompt people to take action.
“I think a lot of us who knocked on doors for the Trudeau government really believed them when they said they were going to bring evidence-based analysis and science and democratic process back to pipeline reviews.”
Related: Trans Mountain pipeline: The economics of oil
Related: Trans Mountain pipeline: Is it worth the risk?
Berman is a director of Stand.earth, one of the groups that organized an anti-pipeline protest in Vancouver on Tuesday after Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced the government’s plans for the pipeline between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C. Another protest is planned in Victoria on Thursday.
“My expectation is that the outrage is going to grow and we’re not just going it see it here in British Columbia but we’re going to see it nationally and internationally,” she said, adding social media makes it possible for activists to connect in ways that didn’t exist at the height of anti-logging protests in 1993.
“We didn’t have email, we didn’t have cellphones. It was a remote location that took most people five to seven hours to get through. This is a pipeline project that runs through urban centres,” she said of Trans Mountain.
Khelsilem, a Squamish Nation council member who goes by his first name, said the federal government’s decision to pursue completion of the pipeline expansion threatens Indigenous communities if there was a spill of bitumen from increased tanker traffic in B.C. waters.
“Trudeau had promised during the election that he would create a new environmental process that would protect Indigenous rights and that the Kinder Morgan project would be included and sent back to be done through the new process, and on both those counts he’s failed completely,” he said.
Along with multiple legal challenges involving the pipeline, the Squamish Nation and five other First Nations are involved in a Federal Court of Appeal case that targets Ottawa’s approval of the project.
“The protesters and the opposition, and the civil disobedience is probably going to increase,” Khelsilem said.
“Our mandate from our people is to continue to defend our rights as a people and to protect our territory, not just for us but for future generations. We’re going to continue to stand with our allies that support our Indigenous rights and change the story of Canada, that Canada is no longer a country that disregards Indigenous rights.”
Related: Trans Mountain pipeline: How we got here
Related: First Nations remain divided
Camille Bains, The Canadian Press
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All Sports Report: Sunday August 13, 2017 - KUSI News - San Diego, CA | All Sports Report:Sunday August 13, 2017
0:00-0:29 Tatis homerun
0:30-1:20 Junior Over the Line tournament
1:21- 1:53 Encinitas Little League
1:54-2:28 Del Mar races |
In Georgia, Republicans Split Over Primary Runoff | ATLANTA—A bitter primary runoff for governor is dividing Georgia’s dominant Republican Party as it prepares to face a well-funded Democratic opponent in the general election.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp are neck-and-neck in recent polling ahead of a July 24 primary. The winner will face Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in November. She won her primary with more than 76% of the vote.
The... |
BRIEF-Daniel M. Gottlieb Reports 6.3 Pct Passive Stake In Startek Inc | April 24 (Reuters) - StarTek Inc:
* DANIEL M. GOTTLIEB REPORTS 6.3 PERCENT PASSIVE STAKE IN STARTEK INC AS OF JANUARY 31, 2018 - SEC FILING Source text (bit.ly/2Kc3snF) Further company coverage: |
Congress leaders have ‘Modiphobia’, says Amit Shah | PM Narendra Modi (right) and Amit Shah (left). (Express photo/File) PM Narendra Modi (right) and Amit Shah (left). (Express photo/File)
BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said leaders of the Congress repeatedly have been making “derogatory”remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi because they suffer from “Modiphobia”. Shah said now-suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “neech” person remark for Modi was not only an insult to the PM post, but also Gujarat.
Addressing a poll rally in Dabhoi Assembly constituency of Vadodara, Shah said: “We don’t use such words even for our sarpanch… Congress is doing low-level politics in Gujarat by spreading casteism.”
The BJP chief also targeted Rahul Gandhi over his election as Congress president, and said the ongoing Gujarat Assembly elections were a fight between “vikasvaad (development)” and “vanshvaad (dynasty)”. “You must have watched on television today that Rahul Gandhi has become president of the Congress (succeeding his mother Sonia Gandhi). Is there anything to be surprised? But, in the BJP,can you tell who will become president after me? This is the BJP, in which even a tea-seller can become prime minister if he has potential and capability,” Shah said.
About Rahul’s speeches in Gujarat, Shah said, “He has hired an NGO to advice him how to speak, what to speak… he is telling lies everywhere in Gujarat.., He is alleging that there is unemployment in Gujarat. There are 13,200 youths from Amethi working in Surat… first provide them employment in Amethi”. Amethi is the Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul.
The BJP leader also held public meetings at Suigam, Borsad and Anklav. He claimed after the first phase of Assembly elections in Gujarat, he was sure that BJP will win at least 150 seats.
Attacking the Congress over Aiyar’s “neech” remark, Shah said: “The Congress may have suspended Aiyar from the party, but will it suspend Sonia, Priyanka and Robert Vadra for their utterances in 2012 (Assembly elections) and 2014 (Lok Sabha elections) about Modi?”
(Inputs from Tanvir Siddiqui, Ahmedabad)
For all the latest Elections News, download Indian Express App |
REVEALED: Your favourite 12 businesses and employees | After a record number of nominations in each category, the people of the Clarence Valley have spoken! 8,500 votes were avidly cast by loyal and loving customers for the People's Choice Awards.
People's Choice has become a major element of the Clarence Valley Business Excellence Awards.
90 businesses were nominated for the Daily Examiner People's Choice - Favourite Business Award.
For the Daily Examiner People's Choice - Favourite Employee Award, 91 outstanding employees were competing for the title.
2017 business of the year winner Flowers by Bonnie and employee of the year Dwarne McPhee have again made the top 12 this year.
They have good company. The competition is fierce, and hotly contested.
It is interesting to note, that a very small number of votes separate the top three businesses as voted by you this year. Remember that when you come to vote next year, as every vote really does count.
The winner of the People's Choice Awards will be announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner on August 4.
In alphabetical order, the top twelve FAVOURITE BUSINESSES are:
. Arthur Street Children's Centre, Grafton
. Blueberries Café, Maclean
. Flowers by Bonnie, Grafton
. Gorgeous by Carly, Grafton
. Hair Affiti, South Grafton
. Hanks Kitchen, Grafton
. Midcoast Family Day Care, Grafton
. Paper Daisy Florist, Grafton
. Pure Perfection Day Spa, Grafton
. Remember When Cottage Museum, Waterview Heights
. Skye Park Pet Resort & Day Spa, Clarenza
. Toast Espresso, Grafton
In alphabetical order by surname, the top twelve FAVOURITE EMPLOYEES are:
. Zahli Bancroft, Pure Perfection Day Spa
. Michael Casement, ESP Grafton
. Abbie Ellis, Hair Affiti Hair Salon
. Leanne Godwin, Harveys Jewellers
. Simonn Martin, Arthur Street Children's Centre
. Ann McCabe, Ramsay Pharmacy
. Grace McDonald, ESP Grafton
. Dwarne McPhee, Family Dental Yamba
. Jo Powell, Jetts Grafton
. Brooke Robinson, Anytime Fitness
. Zahli Stevens, ESP Grafton
. Leisa Stout, Paper Daisy Florist |
Tennis-ATP Tour singles standings | Tennis-Pliskova pulls out of Birmingham due to elbow injury
LONDON, June 14 World number three Karolina Pliskova has withdrawn from next week's Aegon Classic grasscourt event in Birmingham to rest an injured elbow ahead of Wimbledon, she said on Wednesday. |
N13.5m running cost: SERAP sues Saraki, others | Oladimeji Ramon
A human rights advocacy group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has sued the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the 108 other senators, over their alleged monthly earnings of N13.5m as running cost.
In the suit, which it filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking an order compelling the senators to refund with interest all the funds they had so far collected as running cost.
It wants the court to scrap the N13.5m running cost and bar the lawmakers from further collecting “such illegal, unconstitutional and unjustified monthly allowances.”
The group, in its suit marked FHC/L/CS/630/18, is also praying the court to order the relevant agency to conduct an investigation into how each of the senators spent the monthly N13.5m running cost they had so far received.
In the suit, SERAP contended that “the defence put forward by the senators that the said sum is contained in the Appropriations Act with different headings like medicals, travelling, e.t.c. holds no water.”
This, it said, was because “the Schedule of the Remuneration Act clearly makes provision for medicals, travelling e.t.c. The argument that the running cost is for such medicals e.t.c. has no legal fount.”
“There is no doubt that the Senate, herein represented by the Senate President, acted ultra vires in its powers by allotting to themselves the said sum of N13.5m monthly as running cost.
“It is trite law that when the word ‘shall’ is employed in a statute, the primary meaning that the court will assign to it is that such provision is mandatory and leaves no room for discretionary or arbitrary exercise of power except a congruence reading if the statute intends otherwise.
“The sum of N13.5m shared by the Senate President and other senators monthly is neither part of their salaries and allowances as approved for them by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission nor contained in the Appropriations Act.
“This is further strengthened by the declaration of the RMAFC that the said sum is not known to the RMAFC and therefore illegal,” counsel for SERAP, Ms Bamisope Adeyanju, argued in the suit.
SERAP maintained that the lawmakers breached Section 70 of the constitution as well as the provisions of the Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendments) Act 2008.
The court has yet to fix a date for the hearing of the case.
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Documents highlight Prince's struggle with opioid addiction | Before his death, Prince abused opioid pain pills, suffered withdrawal symptoms and received at least one opioid prescription under his bodyguard’s name, according to search warrants and affidavits unsealed Monday.
Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park on April 21. Nearly a year after his accidental overdose death at his suburban Minneapolis studio and estate, investigators still don’t know how he got the fentanyl that killed him. The newly unsealed documents give the clearest picture yet of Prince’s struggle with opioid painkillers.
___
WHAT DO AUTHORITIES SAY HAPPENED?
Investigators heard plenty from the people at Paisley Park when Prince’s body was discovered. They told investigators that Prince was recently “going through withdrawals, which are believed to be the result of the abuse of prescription medication.”
When authorities later checked a database set up to monitor who’s getting prescriptions for controlled substances, they found nothing for Prince. But there was a prescription for the opioid painkiller oxycodone written for Kirk Johnson, Prince’s bodyguard.
The prescription was dated April 14, 2016, the same day Prince was revived with an anti-overdose drug after falling ill on a plane. Dr. Michael Schulenberg, who wrote the prescription, told authorities he put the prescription in Johnson’s name to protect Prince’s privacy, according to a detective’s affidavit. Schulenberg’s attorney, Amy Conners, said in a statement that Schulenberg never prescribed opioids to Prince directly nor to another person with the intent of giving them to the singer.
Johnson’s attorney, Clayton Tyler, said Johnson “did not secure nor supply the drugs which caused Prince’s death.” An autopsy showed Prince died of an overdose of fentanyl, another drug in the opioid family.
___
WHAT ARE POTENTIAL CHARGES?
Writing a prescription under another person’s name violates state and federal law, said Ruth Martinez, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.
Martinez said she could not comment on whether the board is investigating Schulenberg’s treatment of Prince. The agency’s website on Monday listed no disciplinary or corrective actions taken against the doctor.
The board doesn’t launch investigations unless someone makes a complaint. Complaints typically take 90 to 120 days to resolve, she said.
A person convicted under the law could be stripped of the ability to prescribe controlled substances by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and face other discipline from the state medical board.
___
WHY NO CHARGES YET?
A year might seem like a long time without charges, but criminal justice experts say the fact that no one’s been charged doesn’t mean no one ever will. They say it’s a complex thing to track illegally obtained pills, and investigators and prosecutors want to build strong cases before interviewing witnesses who might provide useful information.
Although they can resort to subpoenas, the targets can exercise their right against self-incrimination — and the only way to get them to talk after that is by offering immunity. And, experts say, prosecutors and investigators don’t want to lose a high-profile case such as Prince’s — likely increasing their caution.
___
HOW OFTEN DO PRESCRIBERS USE FALSE NAMES?
Martinez of the Minnesota medical board said it’s “quite infrequent” for a doctor to write out a prescription for someone in another person’s name.
Two Los Angeles attorneys say it happens all the time in Hollywood. Celebrities frequently use aliases in hospitals and doctor’s offices.
Laws against prescribing with a false name are not usually enforced when a doctor intends to protect a celebrity’s privacy, said Los Angeles attorney Ellyn Garofalo.
She represented a doctor who was acquitted of all charges, including false name allegations, in the death of Anna Nicole Smith, the Playboy model and reality TV star who died of an accidental overdose in 2007.
“They would be indicting every pharmacist in Beverly Hills if this were strictly enforced,” Garofalo said Monday.
Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Harland Braun said there are good reasons for doctors to want to protect privacy with the insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip.
“Say you have a major male actor who has a prescription for Viagra, do you want that out on TMZ?” Braun said.
___
Amy Forliti and Doug Glass contributed from Minneapolis. |
Hard-hitting Brewers look to continue success against Cubs | The Milwaukee Brewers have tied a franchise record with 22 home runs in the first 13 games of the season. The franchise record through 14 games is 23 home runs, done twice (1978 and 1996).
First baseman Eric Thames looks to continue his early-season power surge after hitting five home runs in the series against the Cincinnati Reds, becoming just the sixth player in MLB history to hit five home runs in any April series.
Thames tied the franchise record for home runs in any series, joining Geoff Jenkins (April 2001 versus Montreal) and Jeromy Burnitz (September 2001 at Arizona).
Brewers, Most Home Runs in First 13 Games of Season – All-Time
2017 22 1978 22 1987 21 1979 21
Most Home Runs in a Series in April – All-Time
Apr 27-29, 1956 Wally Post, Cin 5 vs ChC Apr 17-18, 1976 Mike Schmidt, Phi 5 at ChC Apr 24-27, 1997 Matt Williams, Cle 5 at Mil Apr 27-29, 2001 Geoff Jenkins, Mil 5 vs Mon Apr 06-08, 2015 Adrian Gonzalez, LAD 5 vs SD Apr 13-16, 2017 Eric Thames, Mil 5 at Cin
Ryan Braun has a .342 career batting average at Wrigley Field, the highest average at the park by any active player (minimum 120 plate appearances).
Active Players, Highest Career Batting Average at Wrigley Field
Ryan Braun .342 (91/266) Carlos Beltran .335 Joey Votto .317 Andrew McCutchen .314 Starling Marte .302
The Brewers are 5-1 in the first six road games of 2017. Only three times prior in franchise history have the Brewers started 6-1 or better in the first seven road games (7-0 in 1987; 6-1 in 1998 and 2014).
Brewers, Best Record in First 6 Road Games of Season – All-Time
2014 6-0 1987 6-0 2017 5-1 1998 5-1 1985 5-1 1976 5-1 |
Hundreds of Louisville youth interview for jobs Monday at Summer - WDRB 41 Louisville News | A Louisville Metro Council member has agreed to issue an apology -- and will not seek re-election -- after allegations surfaced that he grabbed a colleague's rear end during a public event.
A Louisville Metro Council member has agreed to issue an apology -- and will not seek re-election -- after allegations surfaced that he grabbed a colleague's rear end during a public event.
Louisville councilman Dan Johnson apologizes after fondling allegation surfaces; will not seek re-election
Louisville councilman Dan Johnson apologizes after fondling allegation surfaces; will not seek re-election
The restaurant at Bardstown Road between Goldsmith and Bashford Manor Lanes will host an overnight "First 100" party in the parking lot before the grand opening on June 21.
The restaurant at Bardstown Road between Goldsmith and Bashford Manor Lanes will host an overnight "First 100" party in the parking lot before the grand opening on June 21.
New Chick-fil-A in Louisville offering free meals for a year to first 100 customers
New Chick-fil-A in Louisville offering free meals for a year to first 100 customers
The last place Darius S. Reeves was seen in Pleasure Ridge Park.
The last place Darius S. Reeves was seen in Pleasure Ridge Park.
LMPD issues alert to find missing teen last seen in PRP
LMPD issues alert to find missing teen last seen in PRP
Police say an investigation shows that the child ingested the drugs at a home on Seminary Street in Carrollton.
Police say an investigation shows that the child ingested the drugs at a home on Seminary Street in Carrollton.
POLICE: Carroll County mother arrested after her 8-month-old overdoses on meth
POLICE: Carroll County mother arrested after her 8-month-old overdoses on meth
If you recognize the child, or know how to reach his parents or guardians, you are asked to call (812) 683-4111 or (812) 683-3003.
If you recognize the child, or know how to reach his parents or guardians, you are asked to call (812) 683-4111 or (812) 683-3003.
Four Kentucky National Guard soldiers are facing felony charges after authorities say they gave a woman alcohol, then sexually assaulted her.
Four Kentucky National Guard soldiers are facing felony charges after authorities say they gave a woman alcohol, then sexually assaulted her.
Shively Police say they've arrested two people who were illegally living in a tree house on someone else's property without their permission.
Shively Police say they've arrested two people who were illegally living in a tree house on someone else's property without their permission.
Shively Police arrest two for illegally living in child's playhouse
Shively Police arrest two for illegally living in child's playhouse
Authorities say she snatched the girl out of her own back yard -- and the reason she gave for doing so didn't add up.
Authorities say she snatched the girl out of her own back yard -- and the reason she gave for doing so didn't add up.
Hardin County woman allegedly tried to abduct 5-year-old girl from backyard
Hardin County woman allegedly tried to abduct 5-year-old girl from backyard
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Hundreds of Louisville kids got a chance Monday to fill out applications and interview for jobs.
As part of Mayor Greg Fischer's SummerWorks program, the first steps were taken to employ thousands of local youth this summer.
Sharonda Nix, a senior at Fairdale was one of the several hundred teenagers who met potential employers at the the Mayor's SummerWorks Employment Expo on Monday at the South Louisville Community Center.
"We are looking to fill about 25 to 30 part-time and full-time opportunities," said Jasmine Reed, a Human Resources Manager for the Downtown Marriott.
Reed hopes to find people looking for summer jobs and careers.
"And say, you are really interested in event management, down the road. This is absolutely the best entry-level position in the city."
Michael Gritton, Executive Director for Kentuckiana Works, said they're trying to find summer jobs for more than 5,000 youth ages 16 to 21.
"We know a lot of teenagers struggle to find a job, so we are trying to make it as easy for them to find those jobs," he said.
It was a busy day, but Nix feels good about her chances.
"I hope I get hired at one of these places that I applied to," she said.
The SummerWorks program will be recruiting both employers and youth until May.
Copyright 2017 WDRB Media. All rights reserved. |
Prison riot in Brazil leaves at least 60 inmates dead | RIO DE JANEIRO—At least 60 inmates died during a prison riot in the northern state of Amazonas, including several who were beheaded or dismembered, in the biggest killing at a Brazilian prison since 1992.Amazonas state public security secretary Sergio Fontes said that in addition to the deaths, some inmates escaped, but he did not say how many. He added that 40 had been recaptured.Twelve prison guards were held hostage by the inmates, though none were wounded.“This is the biggest prison massacre in our state’s history,” Fontes said during a press conference. The riot at the Anisio Jobim Penitentiary Complex began Sunday afternoon and lasted until Monday morning.It was the largest death toll during a Brazilian prison riot since the killing of 111 inmates by police officers in the Carandiru penitentiary in Sao Paulo in 1992. Police said they acted in self-defence then.Article Continued BelowFontes confirmed that many of the dead had been beheaded and Judge Luis Carlos Valois, who negotiated the end of the riot with inmates, said he saw many bodies that were quartered.“I never saw anything like that in my life. All those bodies, the blood,” Valois wrote on Facebook.Authorities said the riot apparently grew out of a fight between two of the country’s biggest crime gangs of the country over control of several prisons. Fontes said the inmates made few demands to end the riot, which hints at a killing spree organized by members of a local gang, the Family of the North, against those of the First Command of the Capital that is based in Sao Paulo.
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Fallen firefighters remembered at memorial service - WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather & Sports | Friends, family, and firefighters from multiple counties came together on Saturday for a memorial to remember those who fell in the line of duty.
Those counties include Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty. This annual memorial is usually held in October during fire prevention week, but because of weather conditions, they had to hold it off until a December date.
The Chaplin for the Chatham County Chiefs Association says this memorial gives families the chance to know they always have someone in their corner.
"It gives us an opportunity to remember our fallen brothers and sisters," said Dale Simmons, Chaplin for the Chatham County Chief's Association. "It's important to the families because it lets them remember that their loved ones are not forgotten and that we're there to help them in any way we can."
It was a day to recognize how brave these men and women were to make the ultimate sacrifice and protect the community.
Copyright 2017 WTOC. All rights reserved. |
Scotty McCreery Duets with Fan Suffering Incurable Disease | By Abby Hassler
Scotty McCreery made a fan’s day when he stopped by North Carolina for a jam session with 19-year-old Dustin Chapman. The 19-year-old fan had reached out the country star on social media, saying that his one wish was to sing with him.
Chapman suffers from Achalasia, a progressive disease that affects the esophagus, according to WMBF TV. There is currently no cure for the disease.
Related: Scotty McCreery Pays Tribute to Grandfather in ‘Five More Minutes’ Video
After word got out, McCreery revealed he would be meeting with Chapman soon, writing, “Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers. He sounds like an amazing guy and I am looking forward to our meeting. I’m so proud of all my fans for making sure I had heard about him.”
The two met up Tuesday (June 13), and Chapman sang one of his original songs for McCreery and then the pair sang a duet of McCreery’s hit “See you Tonight.”
Sharing the video online afterward, Chapman wrote, “Thanks, Scotty for making one of my biggest dreams come true.”
Check out McCreery’s post and watch the duet below. |
Bioanalysis explores novel LC-MS assays impacting CYP and transporter DDI evaluations | Bioanalysis, a leading MEDLINE indexed journal for bioanalytical scientists, has published a Special Focus Issue on LC-MS assays impacting CYP and transporter DDI evaluations. The journal is published by Future Science Group.
The Special Focus Issue, guest Edited by Ragu Ramanathan (Pfizer), explores novel LC-MS assays impacting CYP and transporter DDI evaluations, through original research articles, as well as expert perspectives in the form of commentary-style articles.
The issue discusses new technologies in MS as well as looking into multiplexing, and getting more information using HRMS, as well as sample pooling approaches. Proposals of several endogenous biomarkers for evaluating DDI at early stages in clinical trials, so DDI studies do not need to be continued into the latter stages, are also explored.
"There is a growing interest in exploring novel LC-MS/MS, LC-high resolution accurate MS (LC-HRMS), or LC-MS/HRMS assays early in drug development to ensure DDI related liabilities to establish safety and efficacy of a NCE. This special issue brings together some the novel LC-MS applications and outlook from leaders in the field" said Ragu Ramanathan (Pfizer).
"I am delighted to have worked with experts in the field to produce this Special Focus Issue, which appears to demonstrate the expansion of interest in using sensitive and selective LC-MS assays for evaluations of DDI potentials early in development of new chemical entities to assure safety and efficacy." commented Sankeetha Nadarajah (Managing Commissioning Editor, Bioanalysis).
To read the full issue, please visit https:/ / www. future-science. com/ toc/ bio/ 10/ 9
The guest editors' free-access foreword article is available online here: https:/ / www. future-science. com/ doi/ 10. 4155/ bio-2018-0086
###
About Bioanalysis
Bioanalysis is a MEDLINE-indexed journal covering the latest scientific, technical and regulatory developments relevant to those working on the analysis of xenobiotics and biotics in biological matrices. This is, primarily, bioanalysts working in pharmaceutical research and development, clinical laboratories, clinical toxicologists, forensic toxicologists and sports doping analysts.
About Bioanalysis Zone
Since launching in 2011, Bioanalysis Zone has attracted over 7,500 active members from the global bioanalytical community, representing the pharmaceutical, biotech and CRO industries, along with academia and healthcare. Each month, thousands of members visit the site to read industry news, original research exclusive interviews and commentaries. Membership is completely free of charge. Sign up online at: http://www. bioanalysis-zone. com/ register .
About Future Science Group
Founded in 2001, Future Science Group (FSG) is a progressive publisher focused on breakthrough medical, biotechnological and scientific research. FSG's portfolio includes two imprints, Future Science and Future Medicine. In addition to this core publishing business, FSG develops specialist eCommunities. Key titles and sites include Bioanalysis Zone, Epigenomics, Nanomedicine and the award-winning Regenerative Medicine. http://www. futuresciencegroup. com . |
Woman convicted for charging $514K on boss's credit cards | NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A federal jury has convicted a Virginia woman on fraud and tax charges after prosecutors said she charged over a half-million dollars on her boss's credit cards.
Sherea Darnell is a former manager at a Williamsburg eye care center. Prosecutors say she used the doctor's credit cards to charge some $514,000 in personal transactions, including her son's preschool tuition.
The jury heard from prosecutors that she also took over $90,000 in cash advances from the credit cards, using it to hire maid services and buy clothing and airline tickets. Authorities say that after her resignation from the eye center, Darnell continued to use her boss's cards until the doctor finally discovered the fraud.
Darnell faces a maximum penalty of 30 years. Sentencing is set for October. |
Health students win awards | Submitted photo
Greene County Career Center students participated at the Health Occupations Students of America/Medical Reserve Core and won first place. The team has works closely with Dr. Don Brannon of Greene County Public Health. They will compete in the state competition April 10-11 in Columbus. Pictured are: Shyann Predmore, Brooke Hentrich, Danielle Dailey, Grabirelle Payton and Mackenzie Collier. |
Thai PM says no trade with North Korea, ahead of U.S. envoy's visit | BANGKOK (Reuters) - No trade takes place between Thailand and North Korea, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, ahead of an expected visit by a U.S. envoy seeking to step up pressure on North Korea over its weapons programs.
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends the opening session of the 20th ASEAN-JAPAN Summit in Manila, Philippines November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
The United States has been urging Southeast Asian countries to do more to cut funding streams for North Korea as tension mounts over its development of nuclear weapons and missiles to carry them as far as the United States.
“Thailand guarantees ... that we have abided by the United Nations resolutions,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters at his official Government House offices.
“There have been reports about North Korean boats in our waters ... I prohibited them a long time ago. There is no trade ... there is no commerce,” he said.
Joseph Yun, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, is due in Bangkok this week to discuss stepping up pressure on North Korea which has been pressing ahead with its weapons tests in defiance of U.N. resolutions and sanctions.
During a visit to Bangkok in August, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed Thailand, the United States’ oldest ally in Asia, for more action on North Korea.
At the time, the United States said it believed North Korean companies were active in Thailand and said it was encouraging the Thailand to close them.
Following Tillerson’s visit, Thailand’s foreign ministry said trade with North Korea had dropped by as much as 94 percent over the previous year. It did not give any more detail.
North Korea tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile late last month.
The U.N. Security Council is due to hold a ministerial meeting on North Korea’s nuclear and missiles programs on Friday. |
‘Unfocused’ Wildcats Pull Away From Strong, 31-8 | By Stan Sadler
STRONG – A key interception, immediately followed by an 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter, finally broke open a tight game and the Rison Wildcats pulled away from the determined Strong Bulldogs to post a 31-8 victory in an 8-2A Conference battle at Jerry Burson Field last Friday night.
The win kept Rison’s record perfect at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the league, while Strong dropped to 2-2 and 0-2.
Even though the ‘Cats dominated Strong, except for one big play from the Bulldogs’ quick and elusive Dez Newton, Rison head coach Clay Totty was not satisfied in the least with his team’s showing after three consecutive blowout wins.
From the start of the game, when the Bulldogs covered an onsides kick at the Rison 40, Totty said the Wildcats were not ready to play.
“The opening kick pretty well summed it up for us,” the R.H.S. mentor said. “We weren’t focused and locked in. I was bad disappointed in our mentality. I felt that way Friday night, and after watching the film I still felt the same way. I think all we did was show up to the game. There just wasn’t any consistency on our part. The backs didn’t run hard all the time. The line wanted to lean instead of drive. We missed 16 tackles, including special teams. We just didn’t show much energy, and because of that we got sloppy with some penalties and lack of execution. I’m thankful we won the game, because we could have just as easily lost.”
Midway of the opening period, Rison seemed to receive a spark when RoShawn Martin, the Wildcats’ leading ball carrier with 92 yards, ripped off a 27-yard gainer to the Strong 30. From there, though, the ‘Cats could get no closer than the 25 and turned the ball over on downs.
To read the full article, see the October 4, 2017 print or e-Herald edition of The Herald. |
Trump Under Intense Pressure to Fire Bannon | New York Times: “Rupert Murdoch has repeatedly urged President Trump to fire him. Anthony Scaramucci, the president’s former communications director, thrashed him on television as a white nationalist. Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the national security adviser, refused to even say he could work with him.”
“For months, Mr. Trump has considered ousting Stephen Bannon, the White House chief strategist and relentless nationalist who ran the Breitbart website and called it a ‘platform for the alt-right.’ Mr. Trump has sent Mr. Bannon to a kind of internal exile, and has not met face-to-face for more than a week with a man who was once a fixture in the Oval Office, according to aides and friends of the president.”
“So far, Mr. Trump has not been able to follow through — a product of his dislike of confrontation, the bonds of a foxhole friendship forged during the 2016 presidential campaign and concerns about what mischief Mr. Bannon might do once he leaves the protective custody of the West Wing.” |
China approves 9 Trump trademarks previously rejected | SHANGHAI (AP) — The Chinese government has granted preliminary approval for nine Donald Trump trademarks it had previously rejected, in whole or in part, The Associated Press found, a turn that is likely to fuel further allegations that Beijing may be giving the president’s family business special treatment.
Trump’s decision to retain ownership of his global branding empire has sparked criticism over perceived conflicts of interest and three lawsuits, including one filed Wednesday by nearly 200 Democrats in Congress, which allege violations of a constitutional prohibition against accepting gifts from foreign governments. Trademarks lie at the heart of these complaints because they are granted by foreign states and can be enormously valuable — whether they are intended as groundwork for future business activity or defensive measures to protect a brand from squatters.
Publicly available records do not indicate why the nine applications were initially rejected, or why the trademarks were then granted provisional approval eight to 15 weeks later.
“The speed with which these appeals were decided is mind-blowing,” said Matthew Dresden, an intellectual property attorney at Harris Bricken in Seattle. “I have never seen any decisions made that quickly. That suggests special treatment. But that’s just procedural. Substantively, it’s impossible to say whether any of this is unusual.”
China’s Trademark Office did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
The new provisional approvals further shore up the president’s brand in China, conferring potential rights to the use of Chinese versions of his name for beauty salon services, socks, human resources consulting and advertising, among other things, and the Trump brand, in English, for jewelry and watch repair. If there are no objections, the marks will be formally registered after 90 days.
China has also granted formal approval for dozens of Trump trademarks in the last few weeks, bring to 39 the total number of official registrations China has given the Trump family business since President Trump took office, according to records from China’s Trademark Office. Those marks include branded spa and massage services, golf clubs, hotels, insurance, finance and real estate companies, restaurants, bars, and a trademark class that covers bodyguards, social escorts, and concierge services, according to Chinese records.
You Yunting, a partner at DeBund Law Offices in Shanghai, said it’s not unusual for trademark rejections to be overturned on appeal. China’s Trademark Office database contained no indication Trump’s lawyers had appealed the trademark rejections, but said it can take months for such actions to be publicly noted. If the initial denial was only partial, some elements of the applications can move forward without an appeal, in which case reversals can be swift.
“Considering the political element, the authorities are definitely not going to admit special treatment, but the possibility cannot be excluded,” You said. “Even if the Trademark Office helped Trump, it would be very difficult to find the wrongdoing on the surface.”
China has defended its handling of trademarks belonging to the president and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who has also been expanding her collection of Chinese trademarks , as fair and in line with Chinese law.
Ivanka Trump’s brand has won provisional approval for at least seven new trademarks since she took on an official role at the White House.
The Trump Organization now has at least 125 trademarks in China formally or provisionally approved, according to Chinese public records. Just four were invalidated, back in 2013. Three more have been rejected, with appeals pending, and one application is dead, according to China’s Trademark Office database.
Three applications were subsequently split so the number of individual trademark decisions is slightly higher than the number of applications in Chinese records.
Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten said the company has made aggressive efforts to defend its brand in China, “a haven for trademark infringement,” and has made no effort to use Donald Trump’s political career to influence Chinese trademark officials.
“The Company has not authorized anyone to discuss and is not aware of anyone having discussed Donald J. Trump’s status as either a presidential candidate, President-elect or President of the United States with any representative of the Chinese government in charge of or with the authority to grant trademarks,” Garten wrote in a June 9 letter to eight Democratic senators who have raised conflict-of-interest questions about the president’s ongoing China trademarking activity.
The data Garten gave to Congress in that letter, however, is at odds with public records in China.
Garten wrote that the company had filed 117 trademark applications in China and said that while some trademarks had been granted provisional approval none have been formally registered since 2015.
But China trademark records indicate that from Feb. 14 through June 7, 39 trademarks were registered. In addition, the public database lists a total of 126 trademark applications made by Donald J. Trump and four applications in the name of his company, DTTM Operations LLC.
Garten said in an email that ownership of 122 Chinese trademarks had been transferred to DTTM Operations in January. He cautioned that China’s trademark database can be unreliable. He added that the 117 count does not include trademarks Donald Trump applied for more than a decade ago using the name of his ex-wife, Ivana Trump, as a brand. And he said it also excludes trademarks for the Trump Organization’s new Scion brand of hotels.
“That database is not frequently updated and is widely known to contain a multitude of inaccuracies,” he said in an email.
(Copyright (c) 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.) |
Rugby League: Josh Drinkwater to Calatans, Knights coach Simon Woolford Huddersfield Giants | SUPER League side Catalans Dragons have recruited ex-Manly and St George Illawarra halfback Josh Drinkwater following the retirement of former NRL star Luke Walsh.
The 25-year-old Drinkwater will join the French club with immediate effect on a deal to the end of the season and could make his debut in Saturday’s match against Hull in Perpignan.
Drinkwater made four appearances for St George Illawarra before making the move to Super League in 2014 with London Broncos, for whom he scored 136 points in 26 appearances.
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The halfback moved back to the NRL with Wests Tigers but returned to England in 2016 when he joined Leigh on a three-year contract, which he cut short when they were relegated from Super League 18 months ago.
Since then he has been playing for the Western Suburbs Magpies in the NSW Cup. Walsh has announced his retirement at the age of 30 after failing to recover from a serious ankle injury.
Catalans coach Steve McNamara said: “Replacing Luke in our squad will be Josh Drinkwater who we are delighted to say has agreed to join us with immediate effect.
“Josh has had a brilliant start to the season in the NSW Cup in Australia and having had previous experience in the Super League competition knows a lot about the game over here.”
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EX-MANLY FORWARD RE-SIGNS
Former Manly and Cronulla forward Jesse Sene-Lefao has extended his stay with Castleford.
The 28-year-old was off-contract at the end of the season but has signed a new three-year deal.
Castleford director of rugby Jon Wells said: “We have worked incredibly hard over the last couple of months to get Jesse’s signature and we are delighted that he has pledged his future to the Tigers.
“He’s an exciting talent who I think both coaching staff and fans are very much looking forward to seeing develop further over the coming years.”
Meninga: Morgan is QLD's '7' 1:41
WOOLFORD THE GIANT?
Former NRL player Simon Woolford has revealed he’s interviewed for the vacant Huddersfield Giants job following the club’s decision to sack ex-Newcastle coach Rick Stone.
Woolford, who is currently coach of the Knights Intrust Super Premiership team, told the Newcastle Herald of his keenness to land the job.
“I’ve been interviewed so now I just have to wait and see what happens,” Woolford said.
“It would obviously be a really good step-up for me.
“But you don’t go into coaching without aspirations to be a head coach at some stage and I’m no different from anybody else in that regard.
“I’m passionate about coaching and love it here in Newcastle with the Knights. But this would be a great opportunity if I was to get the nod.”
In his playing career, Woolford featured in 262 games with stints at Canberra and St George Illawarra. |
Women with kids robbed at gunpoint on beachfront | A visiting King William’s Town mother was robbed at gunpoint in front of her two young children when they went for a walk at the Port Elizabeth beachfront yesterday.
Two gunmen attacked Maree Rushmere, 37, and her 66-year-old mother, Patricia Hayes, just metres from the Protea Hotel Marine.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said a case of robbery was being investigated.
“The attack happened as the victims were walking along the beachfront in Marine Drive,” she said.
“As they returned to their vehicle, they were accosted by two men.
“One produced a firearm. The women were ordered to lie on the ground and they were robbed of their personal belongings such as a chain, iPhone and wallet.”
Rushmere is the daughter of retired deputy provincial police commissioner, Trevor Hayes.
The incident happened yesterday afternoon when Rushmere, her two children, aged two and four, and her mother had gone for a walk at the beachfront. |
Pollution Pods: London's World Tour of Bad Air | Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky at Somerset House for Earth Day. (c) Peter MacDiarmid for Somerset House
An exhibit invites the public to experience the air from five cities around the world.
Standing in the middle of London, you can get a taste of Beijing’s air. In fact, it tastes and smells like the aftermath of a house fire, at least if an installation outside London’s Somerset House is to be believed. Built for Earth Day by artist Michael Pinsky and Danish air filtering company Airlabs, the exhibit recreates the smell, heat, and haze of four notoriously polluted cities: London, New Delhi, Beijing, and Sao Paulo. Simulating each city’s noxious air inside plastic-clad geodesic domes, the exhibit contrasts them with an additional dome recreating conditions on the pristine Norwegian island of Tautra. The results are a mix of predictable and unexpected. For a Londoner, at least, what you can’t see or feel in the domes is as disconcerting as what you can. The polluted atmospheres evoked in the geodesic domes are, as you might expect, unpleasant. There’s a strange vinegary saltiness to the air in Sao Paulo’s dome, apparently mimicking the effects of the city’s widely used ethanol-based fuels. Meanwhile a line of electric radiators in the New Delhi section makes its dome’s air feel sultry and as thick as syrup. Beijing’s dome comes as the greatest shock, however. With a small smoke machine pumping fumes into its narrow space, the whole space smells charred, with a headache-inducing bitterness hanging in the air.
By contrast, the dome representing Norway’s Tautra island—through which visitors enter and exit the exhibit—has an herby, almost buttery smell of cut grass, its air cleaned thanks to filters installed by Airlabs. There’s a niggling sense that some of the effects may be created by the heat of the sun on the domes’ plastic cladding, but the shift from exhaust pipe wheezing to pastoral freshness is striking enough. It’s all safe, of course, as the domes simulate—rather than reproduce—the actual air conditions of its chosen cities. Highlighting the dangers and effects of ozone or sulphur dioxide pollution is one thing; actually exposing people to them is another entirely. There’s also a surprise. Walk into London’s dome and you notice…nothing at all. That’s as it should be. The conditions within the dome are supposed to be recreating those that all visitors have walked through in the city at large, so there shouldn’t be any dramatic shift. The result is still unsettling: We know that in places London have dangerously high levels of toxic nitrogen oxide (NOx) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which reaches such saturations in some places that some streets commonly reach their maximum safe levels for the entire year within the first week of January. The U.K. government itself estimated in 2015 that nitrogen oxides contributed to the premature deaths of up to 23,500 people annually. Pollution Pods by Michael Pinsky at Somerset House for Earth Day. ((c) Peter MacDiarmid for Somerset House) The problem with nitrogen dioxide, however, is that it has no taste and creates no visual disturbance. Difficult as it may be to push for political action, it’s easy to deplore the barbecue-accident-flavored air of Beijing’s pod because it’s so intrusive. Fine particles may cause concern in London, but it’s perfectly possible to go about one’s business there without registering their presence, until asthma or bronchitis hit. Seeing grime or smelling something like char on the wind rightly causes city-dwellers to worry—but some of the urban atmosphere’s worst pollutants can kill without ever signaling their presence. |
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Inquest set 10 years after B.C. woman shot, left to die | Lisa Dudley, and her partner, Guthrie McKay were shot in their Mission home in September 2008
Guthrie McKay and Lisa Dudley were shot in their Mission home in September 2008.
After 10 years of waiting, Rosemarie Surakka’s request for a public inquest into the death of her daughter is going forward.
Surakka’s daughter, Lisa Dudley, and her partner, Guthrie McKay, were shot in their Mission home in September 2008.
The BC Coroners Service announced Tuesday it has scheduled a public inquest into Dudley’s death for June 11 in Burnaby.
The inquest was announced initially in 2010. According to a news release, the dates were confirmed only now, so as not to interfere with criminal proceedings, which concluded in 2017.
In 2008, McKay died at the scene, but Dudley, who was 37 at the time, stayed alive for four days before finally being discovered by a neighbour. She was airlifted to hospital, but died later that day.
Last February, a B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed Surakka’s lawsuit claiming the RCMP failed to properly investigate the death of her daughter.
Four men were eventually convicted: Jack Woodruff, Justin MacKinnon, Bruce Main and Thomas Holden.
During the investigation and four separate trials, court heard that Cpl. Mike White, the RCMP officer responding to a shots-fired call at the couple’s home, left the scene after being there for approximately 10 minutes, without going inside, and did not follow up the next day.
Four years later, White was reprimanded and docked one day’s pay following a review by the adjudication board.
The coroner had also previously announced its intention to hold an inquest into the death of McKay.
While the circumstances of both deaths were explored through criminal proceedings, the release said, Dudley’s death raises issues that are not applicable to McKay’s death, so an inquest will not be held. |
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today | Singapore's economy should continue to expand in 2018 although protectionism risks have risen, said Ravi Menon, Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director.
Singapore's economic growth to remain steady in 2018 despite rising trade friction: MAS chief Ravi Menon
HE said overall growth in gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to come in at around 2.5–3.5 per cent in 2018, unchanged from an earlier official forecast released in May.
'Euphoria' in Singapore property market calls for caution: Ravi Menon
DEVELOPERS should be cautious when making their land bids, bearing in mind the supply that's coming onstream, said Mr Menon on Wednesday.
Blocked in 2009, Horizon Towers launches again for collective sale with S$1.1b reserve price
BACK in 2009, Horizon Towers was collectively sold for S$500 million but the sale was overturned. Now the prime District 9 condominium has been launched for sale at a reserve price of S$1.1 billion.
Singapore foreign reserves gain was S$8.5b in FY2017/18: MAS
The gains in official foreign reserves comprise investment gains of S$22.3 billion and a loss from currency translation effects of S$13.8 billion due mainly to the strengthening of the SGD against the USD and JPY.
sentifi.com Market voices on:
Small car COE falls to eight-year-low of $25,000
COE for cars up to 1,600cc and 130bhp finished at $25,000, down from $34,110 - the lowest since March 2010.
Former Malaysia PM Najib posts bail after pleading not guilty to 1MDB-related charges
HE faces three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of abuse of power - in connection with the 1MDB scandal that led to his political downfall.
The STI today
Singapore shares close 0.3% up on Wednesday
SINGAPORE stocks finished 0.3 per cent higher on Wednesday, with the Straits Times Index moving up 8.99 points to close at 3,244.89. |
Orioles prospects 4/16: Giavotella walks it off for the Tides | The Tides scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to come from behind and walk it off against the Charlotte Knights at Harbor Park on Sunday. Looks like some Orioles magic overflowed to the AAA squad.
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Mulder Hears A Strange Noise | Mulder wants to get away from the hustle and bustle only to be disrupted by a strange noise. |
Flynn, Hawkinson lead Washington State past Washington 79-74 (Jan 01, 2017) | SEATTLE (AP) Malachi Flynn did what he wanted in the final 2 1/2 minutes, dribbling around screens, scoring baskets and lifting his team. And for all that Washington freshman Markelle Fultz did, it was Washington State’s freshman guard that was the star in the closing moments.
Flynn scored eight of his 16 points in the final 2:13, and Washington State rallied for a stunning 79-74 win over Washington on Sunday night.
”For a freshman to come back home, in this environment and have the poise – not only to want the ball but to have the poise to make the plays consistently – that shows you his potential greatness down the road,” Washington State coach Ernie Kent said.
Washington State (8-5, 1-0 Pac-12) closed the game on a 12-3 run thanks to Flynn and Josh Hawkinson. Trailing 71-67, the duo took over, combining to score the final 12 points for the Cougars and give them their first conference victory in nearly a calendar year.
Washington State’s last conference win came on Jan. 3, 2016 when the Cougars beat UCLA at home. Seventeen straight losses to conference opponents later, the Cougars finally snapped their skid.
Hawkinson finished with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Flynn scored 13 in the second half. Flynn made 6 of 10 shots and added six assists.
”It’s big coming to Seattle and winning our first game but we know we’ve got a lot down the road,” Flynn said.
Fultz led Washington (7-6, 0-1) with 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, falling just short of the first triple-double in Washington history. But after carrying Washington for most of the second half, Fultz went scoreless in the final 2 1/2 minutes. After taking a 71-67 lead, Washington missed four straight shots and had a key turnover during a stretch where Flynn was fantastic.
Noah Dickerson added 19 points for the Huskies.
”A very tough loss. It’s not just your conference opener but it’s an opener at home and we did not play well enough to get it done. Very unfortunate,” Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said.
Fultz spent the first 25 minutes getting others involved, before taking over the scoring to help Washington rally from an eight-point deficit early in the second half. Fultz scored nine of 13 points during a 5 1/2 minute stretch, and Washington pulled even at 64-64 with 7:37 remaining after a layup by Dickerson.
Washington State briefly took a 67-66 lead after Hawkinson split a pair of free throws with 4:20 remaining, but Fultz’s 17-footer with 3:22 remaining put the Huskies ahead 68-67. Less than a minute later, Fultz’s 3-pointer over Hawkinson as the shot clock expired extended the lead to 71-67.
That’s when Flynn took over. He answered quickly with a driving layup and Hawkinson’s basket underneath with 1:36 left pulled the Cougars even at 71-71.
Fultz turned the ball over on Washington’s next possession and Flynn beat David Crisp off a screen and scored with 48.6 remaining to give Washington State the lead. Fultz missed a driving layup with his left hand and rather than foul, Washington played out the remaining time. Flynn beat Dickerson off the dribble and scored at the rim with 13.9 seconds left for a four-point lead and Washington State added four free throws in the final seconds.
”We didn’t guard the ball screen properly,” Romar said. ”The first half we did a very good job guarding everything. But there were breakdowns in the second half and in those final stretches ball-screen defense broke down.”
BIG PICTURE
Washington State: The Cougars snapped an eight-game losing streak in conference openers. Washington State’s last conference opening victory came in the 2007-08 season when the Cougars beat Washington 56-52 in Seattle.
Washington: Fultz got little help from his supporting cast outside of Dickerson. Washington’s other three starters – Crisp, Matisse Thybulle and Malik Dime – combined for just 18 points.
TURNING POINT
Washington led by as many as 13 in the first half, only to see Washington State cut the lead to seven by halftime and surge in the opening moments of the second half. The Cougars scored the first 14 points of the half and built a 49-41 lead before Crisp finally knocked down the Huskies first shot of the half.
UP NEXT
Washington State: The Cougars face Oregon State in Spokane on Wednesday.
Washington: The Huskies host No. 21 Oregon on Wednesday. |
Plano Fire Crews Battle Early Morning Restaurant Blaze | 5 Best Ski Lodges In The U.S.A look at five of the very best ski lodges in the United States.
Five Must-See Destinations In ParisWithin the 41 square miles of Paris, France there are over 60 main attractions for visitors to discover ranging from Museums, Churches, Monuments and Squares as well as examples of contemporary and traditional architecture. This is far too many sites for the average tourist to attempt to visit during a short stay in the city of lights. Thus a list of the five most famous and must see attractions is in order.
Five Essential Planning Tips For Your European VacationNothing beats traveling abroad. It’s educational, invigorating and just plain fun. With the Pound and Euro inching closer to the value of the U.S. Dollar there has never been a better time to explore new lands. In order to get the very best experience out of your trip it is essential that you put a lot of thought and planning in your preparation. The more pre-planning that you do, the less hassles during your travels. Here are some basic tips to get you started on your next “Trip of a Lifetime!”
Vacation With Your Valentine: America's Most Romantic RetreatsAn introduction to five of America's best romantic retreats to celebrate Valentine's Day |
Bruno Mars Announces ‘Finale’ Run of 24K Magic World Tour | Photo: Kai Z. Feng
The 24K Magic World Tour will continue on!
Bruno Mars confirmed today’s earlier tease by announcing the cities he’ll be stopping in with special guest Cardi B.
Related: Bruno Mars Teases Tour With Cardi B
The ‘finale’ run for the 11-time GRAMMY winner will include visits to Boston, Brooklyn, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, Newark, Philadelphia, St. Paul, Toronto, and Tulsa. Dates and venues to be announced soon.
Tickets for the dates are set to go on-sale February 16th. |
Mass Goers Urged To Avoid Communion On Tongue | If you're heading to mass this weekend you might be well advised to avoid communion.
Mass goers are being cautioned against taking the sacrament on the tongue to reduce the spread of flu.
Another recommendation being encouraged is to nod or bow instead of shaking hands in an 'exchange of peace"
The HSE says members of the clergy or congregation should not attend mass if they are ill.
Priests are also being urged to use hand sanitisers during the above practices. |
China says threat of terrorism top concern in meeting of Beijing-led group of Central Asian states | Beijing: China's defence minister said on Tuesday that fighting the threat of terrorism is a top concern to be discussed by a Beijing-led group of Central Asian states at a meeting this week that highlights Chinese ambitions to dominate the Asian security agenda.
Wei Fenghe told fellow defence officials from the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Beijing that the group stood as a force for peace. Foreign ministers from the group were also meeting in Beijing on Tuesday and a heads of state summit is planned for June in the Chinese port of Qingdao.
Their two nations are rivals for Asian leadership and share a disputed and often tense Himalayan border.
The focus on terrorism reflects China's hopes to use the grouping to stamp out threats of cross-border support for low-level separatist insurgencies particularly in the predominantly Turkic-speaking region of Xinjiang.
Along with China and Russia, the SCO includes the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan as well Pakistan and India. Cooperation among member nation defence ministries "has made important contributions to maintain peace in the region and the world," Wei said.
Wei said the meeting would also discuss the South China Sea, where China has rapidly been consolidating its claim to virtually the entire strategic waterway through the construction of man-made island military bases.
China has encouraged Central Asian countries to play a bigger role in regional affairs as part of the SCO. Apart from stepping up security cooperation, China has funnelled significant economic investment into Central Asia, a critical hub in President Xi Jinping's Belt-and-Road infrastructure initiative connecting the Eurasian continent. Beijing has also sought a bigger role in Afghanistan's political future, pushing for settlement talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. |
American Girl announces Nashville dolls | NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – American Girl just announced two dolls to represent the city of Nashville as well as its first-ever boy doll.
The dolls—named Tenney Grant and Logan Everett—will be revealed Thursday.
The company says Tenney is a rising star on the music scene and breakout songwriter, “finding the heart to be herself.” She has long, blonde hair and brown eyes, as well as an exclusive outfit and book that chronicles her story.
Logan is the first-ever boy character and also Tenney’s drummer. He has short brown hair, gray eyes, and an original outfit as well as his own drum set.
The Tenney collection is available on this Thursday through American Girl’s catalog, at AmericanGirl.com and all retail locations nationwide. |
BRIEF-Imex Systems signs agreement with City of Toronto | April 10 Imex Systems Inc
* Imex Systems signs agreement with city of Toronto
* Imex Systems Inc says estimates that value of contract will be in range of $6 million CDN over a 3-year period
* Imex Systems Inc says is a 3-year contract that is effective from Apr 1, 2017 until April 2020 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: |